Days Like These
by Tinkering
Summary: After seven years together Harry finally wants more from his relationship with Draco Malfoy.Unfortunately Draco isn't ready to give it and when it turns out it's too late, turns on him.Sev is there for him but it's not that easy to leave a Malfoy.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I wrote this all on my own. However, I am using characters made by other people soo...they aren't mine, I don't own them, I make no profit off them, blah blah blah yada yada.**

AN: My newest story and actually the closest to being done. Hope you like it.

**Days Like These**

It was days like these. Days like this made him wonder if he was still content with his life because at this moment he didn't feel so content…

"Sufficio!" Harry dragged in a breath and stiffened as the suffocation spell hit the pillar he was hiding behind.

Yes, some missions did go wrong. This had happened before and it would probably happen again with his line of work, nothing was assured. But he was getting older dammit! It was risks like this he couldn't take anymore!

Clenching his wand in his teeth, Harry gathered his magic in his fists, in two tight little balls. He peeked around quickly as a cutting hex flew past his face and threw out the balls of power. He heard a yelp as one or more of the spells connected with his target and rolled across the floor while the dark wizard was preoccupied and got to a new pillar, with a better angle.

He had to learn to stop taking these single person missions, Harry shook his head, handling his wand again.

"Stupefy!" The man might be hurting from the stinging hexes but he definitely was _not_ down.

"Purgio Conicio!" Harry's eyes widened in shock at the Dark Arts spell hurtling to him and he just got his upper body behind the pillar enough to save himself from a barrage of flying knives. Unfortunately, his thigh was not as lucky.

Harry groaned, pained as the knife sunk into muscle before disappearing leaving his wound to bleed freely. That was what he really hated about that spell. He murmured one to bandage the wound and hit his head against the pillar lightly before focusing again. This had to stop if he wanted to get home to his lover tonight. He couldn't take anymore of this.

Gathering a small amount of his full power, Harry thought the of the petrify spell and let out his power in a controlled ripple-effect wave. Harry gathered the remains of his magic back to him as the power he'd released ebbed and looked back around the pillar, tiredly.

After the whole house and grounds of the battle were checked it was found Harry had broke an illegal wand distribution ring. Another two men were found in the dungeons of the mansion with the loot and it was yet another sparkling addition to Harry's 100 success rate.

* * *

When Harry had been promoted from the normal Auror ranks where he couldn't possibly be promoted to Head Auror because of his age, he'd been moved to Hit Wizardry. And from there he'd moved right to the top with a flourish because of his power and the fact he just _couldn't bloody well give up_. Sometimes that characteristic buggered the hell out of him.

"Harry!" He stepped out of the Floo and brushed himself down, looking up tiredly at his smiling lover, who was making his way to him from the study. "I heard on the Wireless. I really didn't expect you home so soon…I've still been writing." Harry angled up his head and sighed softly as pillow-soft lips brushed his gently. His eyes opened with a new spark of life as his lover pulled away. "Are you okay?"

"Mm." Harry wrapped his arms around the waist of the slightly taller body in front of his and held on tight. "Sometimes I hate my job."

"As you've been saying for the past five years. And the two before that when you were an Auror." A teasing smirk replied to Harry's dark scowl.

"I mean it this time." Harry frowned.

"You've meant it for the past five years and you still haven't quit. So I doubt you're going to now." Harry moaned soundlessly at the fingers raking across his scalp. "How about a little relaxation?" His lover's body rubbed tantalizingly against his and his prick twitched and hardened slowly as the assault continued.

"Ah…_ahhh_." Maybe…maybe he did just need to relax? "Bed then." He whispered lowly. He wriggled slowly out of the arms holding him and made his way up the staircase and along corridors to their bedroom stripping as he went, clothes dropping behind him. By the time he made it into the bedroom he was naked and he turned his back to the fluffy queen sized four poster bed before dropping onto it.

"Mmhmm," His lover somehow still had more sinewy body mass than he did considering their professions and his heavier body settled onto Harry's, soothing him. Harry shut his eyes and breathed in the smell of mint and vanilla with another satisfied sigh. "Shall I make it all better?"

"Yes." Harry opened heavy eyes. "I need you." He looked up into Draco's darkened mercury eyes and pulled him down for a kiss grinding their hips together. And this was how the bad days always ended. But perhaps…maybe, they weren't that bad. He moaned softly as he was prepared and entered, cried out softly as he came, shuddering against the blonde and relaxed bonelessly in tight arms as he was held in his afterglow. Maybe it wasn't a bad day at all.

* * *

Harry woke the next morning with a shiver as breath huffed over his ear lightly. He turned his head to find Draco back in bed and spooned against the back of him, breathing into his ear. He wriggled upwards until Draco was breathing into hair instead of his ear and settled back under the arm slung over his waist.

He knew Draco had gotten up in the middle of the night to keep writing where Harry had interrupted but he was just so sweet to come back. Harry knew he was working on something really important right now. But he always supported Harry with his work problems. Harry frowned down at the blonde though as he sat up. This was a serious problem though.

All joking aside, Harry was ready to settle down. He didn't want to be a Hit Wizard anymore. He felt like a petulant little child for it but…that was what everyone had wanted him to do! Even Draco, when they had realized the Auror work would be dead end until Harry was at least forty and the current Head moved on. As a Hit Wizard each person was individual and Harry _was_ the best. But hell! He and Draco had been together for seven years…since school had ended when they'd dated in seventh year, and they _still_ weren't Bonded yet! He was admittedly, beginning to get frustrated.

He'd wanted to do it after they'd been together three years. Just around the change in job area from Auror to Hit Wizard. He hadn't really been totally behind the idea and figured if he didn't want to do that he could settle down with his lover. No, Draco wasn't ready. It was too early. He didn't want to be Bonded yet. And the other thing Harry wanted…kids. He didn't want an heir yet. His father wasn't here to pressure him so why rush into things? He'd tried again two years ago. Draco felt more secure in their relationship then…but, yes another but, kids would hamper their love. He'd been a bit hurt at that. Kids wouldn't _hamper_ it. Kids would make it _grow_. Nothing could make your heart swell more than having your own family. But no, he was quite satisfied with their sex life just the way it was and after that he'd found himself having to cast a contraceptive spell every time they had sex. They had stopped after awhile as Harry decided he could wait some more time for Draco to come around. But now…he wanted kids now. He wanted his family together now. He wanted to not be afraid he was going to die every day for something he didn't even like!

"Hey," Harry blinked and looked down at Draco's sleepy face. "You look like you're thinking hard. And it's not about something good." He wriggled closer to Harry's body under the sheets. "Talk to me."

Harry bit his lip and looked down at the sheets pooled around his hips, wringing his hands. "Do you want to Bond with me yet?"

Draco's gray eyes widened in surprise. He paused and ruffled his hair with a hesitant hand. "Harry…I thought you were…okay with us, now."

Harry looked up, luminous green eyes hurt. "I'm _okay_ with it. But I don't want it to be just okay. I want us to be a family properly." He fisted the sheets and said tightly, "I want kids."

"I want all that too! But," Draco smiled tentatively and sat up with Harry. "Remember we talked about this already? When you get promoted to Head of the Hit Wizard Department and you've served for a couple of years, I'll be finished the books I'm working on by then and we can retire comfortably together at," Draco waved a hand vaguely. "Between thirty-five and forty! Then we can have our family and be comfortable with each other, love."

"With the best years of our lives gone. And I, I'd have wasted my life on something I don't even like doing!"

Draco laughed. "Harry is that what this is about again?" He ignored Harry's frowning face and kissed him slowly, pulling away when he felt Harry responding. "You don't really hate your job that much…" He smirked as he straddled Harry and his hands migrated under the sheets.

"Draco…" He moaned softly against his will as his body responded to the nimble hands. Emerald eyes fluttered shut as Harry bucked gently into the hands fisting his growing arousal.

"Come on Harry…don't start this again." Draco moved in closer, arms going to wrap around Harry's neck as he pushed their groins together. "We already worked this out. And if you really want to be Bonded that badly I guess we can do it…hmm, how about at thirty?" Draco sucked on the corner of Harry's mouth.

"Dra-Mmmm!"

Could he give in again? Let Draco have _his_ way again? He groaned under his lover, having his way with him again. Yes. As always, yes.

* * *

The next six weeks between them were strained as it always was after Harry was turned down yet another time but Draco figured it would work itself out. At least, he felt that way until one day, a bit later after Harry usually got home from work, he stomped out of the Floo and to their bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

Draco winced looking up from the paper his Dicta-Quill was writing on and he stopped it and the magically operated typewriter as he got up from his work to go comfort Harry again. It was probably just another risky operation at work he needed to be distracted from for a bit. The problem with these days though were they always brought him home in a bad mood and so soon after their last talk about Bonding and kids…it was _so_ not the time for this to happen.

"Harry?" Draco knocked on the door before opening it a split and sticking his head in. He was shocked to find Harry wasn't sitting petulantly on the bed as was routine…but huddled in a corner by their wardrobe, crying. And buggering hell, he hadn't seen Harry cry since the first time he'd refused to Bond to him.

"Oh bugger," Draco whispered under his breath, pushing the door open. He shut the door behind himself with a quiet click and Harry still didn't look up as he started towards him. With his slacks-encased legs pulled up and hugged to his chest, red face crying into his thighs, he looked messed up.

"Red shirts and red faces don't look good together Harry." Draco whispered, kneeling next to him. Nothing. Darn. "Umm, where are your robes?" Harry just hiccuped, lifting his teary face and turned it away from him to look at the wall he was pressed against. "Harry…what happened?"

A wet sniffle. "I…I-killed…two…guys. By accident."

Draco blinked. "Oh. Oh shit. Are you suspended or something? Oh Merlin! You don't have a trial do you? It was within the line of duty right? Do I have to pay a fine?"

Harry looked up with an angry sniff. "They were Dark Wizards. All I have is some private disciplinary hearing within the Auror Department. That's not _it_!"

'It' was the reason why he was crying. Draco sat back on his heels carefully.

"Then what's wrong love?"

"I lost control!" Harry swiped angrily at his face. "That's the only reason I'm having a disciplinary hearing at all. They could care less about the two men! But…I lost control." His full bottom lip trembled and Draco cringed at the thought of more waterworks.

"They were Dark Wizards love. They…probably deserved what they got. And I know that doesn't make you feel any better but you did it to protect yourself and the Wizarding world. That's your job. And no one knows you lost control right? You can say you did it on purpose…"

"But that wasn't why I did it." Harry whispered raspy. "I lost control of my magic. I lashed out at them because…"

"Because…" Draco coaxed out. He knew the reason behind the _last time_ Harry had lost control well enough.

Harry looked up, green eyes watery. "One of them was distracting me with, you know, just some blood boiling and skin melting hexes…but the other snuck up behind me and almost…he almost hit me with Infelix!" Harry finished in a choked cry. "So I just…lashed out…I…think I suffocated them to death."

"Oh Harry," Draco started soothingly but Harry was having none of it.

"I almost lost my chance of having a family because of him! Draco! If he'd hit me we couldn't…we mightn't have been able to…"

"It didn't hit you?" Harry shook his head. "Then it's okay. If you're worried we can go to a Healer or Mediwizard…"

"That's not the point! If I'd been…I wouldn't…" Harry tugged on his hair and stood suddenly, angry. "I can't take risks like this anymore! Aren't you ever afraid something will happen to me?"

"Of course I am!" Draco leaned back, still on his knees, surprised. "And I more than most know how important is to have an heir…"

"Bond with me then!" Harry cried hysterically. "I can't take this anymore I really can't! I hate my job. I hate being in danger. I didn't like it when Voldemort was _hunting_ me and I don't like it now. I just want you to be my husband…and kids…is that so much to ask?"

Draco flinched. "Don't…Harry, come on. That's not fair."

"Isn't it? I've always given way to you before but…not anymore. I can't. I'm quitting as soon as the hearing is over. And I'm not taking any more missions from today."

"Harry…you're being a bit too emotional. The spell didn't hit you. You're fine. You're blowing this…"

"I'm not! I'm not! It's simple Draco! It's very simple! If you care a jot about my happiness, if you love me…Bond with me." Harry stilled and gave a weak smile as Draco looked up at him thoughtfully. "I can quit my job and stay home…with our kids."

"But we planned…"

"Do you love me?" Harry interrupted.

"Of course b…"

"Say it then. Say you love me and we can get Bonded soon."

Draco's eyebrows furrowed deeply. Harry was…couldn't be…but Morgana! He looked serious.

"Harry I…we can't."

He seemed to crumble from the inside. "Can you even say you love me?"

"I care about us a lot Harry, you know I do." Draco scrambled up off the floor. "If I didn't we couldn't have been together for seven years…"

Harry crossed his arms. "You can't say it can you? You know I never realized…no, you know what. I did. But after the first time I asked you to Bond with me you stopped saying it. Unless it was before, during or after sex." Harry snorted. "You can't say you love me can you?"

Draco bristled. "Look, this isn't about that! I do…I mean, if I didn't love you I wouldn't…"

"No, you look here Draco! When you can say it…when you're ready to Bond with me! Come find me!" Draco followed on Harry's heels as he stomped out of their bedroom, ran down the stairs and headed for the fireplace in the Floo room.

"Harry let's talk about this!"

"No more." Harry glared before grabbing a pinch of Floo powder. "12 Grimmauld Place!" And he stepped into the emerald fire and disappeared.

* * *

"Hogwarts! Severus Snape's chambers." Draco shut his eyes against the sight of spinning fireplaces before stepping out onto Severus' rug and shaking soot off his robes after it stopped.

"Severus!"

A dark-haired head stuck itself out of one of the doors off the living room and when the person saw Draco their pale face frowned.

"What are you doing here?"

Draco's face darkened. "Harry's being an asshole!"

"And this is my problem how? I've already _done_ my time with Potter, having had to teach him for seven years. I don't need you coming to me to talk about him now, yet _again_."

"Sev, I don't know what to do! You have to help me."

"The only thing I _have_ to do is die." He said dryly, turning on his heel and heading back into his workroom, Draco on his heels.

"You've helped me with other things…" Draco said sulkily.

"Godfather or no, I only help when it has interest to me." Severus sneered. "There was good laugh value in talking to you about your erectile dysfunction when at my age I've never had that problem." He finished with a smirk.

"Slytherin that you are dear godfather you know about damage control. If you help me fix this now…I won't be sleeping on your couch later." Draco's eyes narrowed.

"That bad is it? _And_ it sounds like it's your fault if you're the one moving out…" Severus turned, working smoothly between two caldrons.

"Well I wouldn't be a total bastard and kick him out all at once. I like living at the manor with Harry…" Draco sighed. "He does little things…for me. It's childish. But cute, you know?"

"So what is the problem?" Severus asked wryly, lifting his eyes from one of the potions he was stirring.

"He wants me to Bond with him. He wants to settle down and quit his job. He wants kids."

Never pausing from his stirring and adding ingredients to the other caldron simultaneously, Severus replied, "It _has_ been seven years."

"Yes! But it's not like we're your age! No offense. And have to settle down now!" Draco said throwing himself gracefully onto a stool. "I had a plan!"

Severus snorted. "You don't have to be old to want to settle down and have a family. Perhaps you should ask yourself…not why Harry can't give in to you again, but why you can't give in to him."

Draco blinked. "Aren't you supposed to be on my side?"

"You said you came here for help. Not a cheerleader." Severus said, shifting between another two caldrons. Looking around Draco could see he'd interrupted in the middle of a mass production.

"Calming potions and Pepper-Ups?"

"Infirmary refill." Severus replied curtly.

"I'm…hesitant." Draco said quietly, looking down into the caldron he was behind. "Scared even."

Severus sighed and pulled his wand from his robes, setting a stasis spell on all of the caldrons. "Living room. Couch. Talk." He said in his 'professor' voice.

By the time Severus had finished _pulling_ every detail from Draco he understood and Draco felt exposed.

"You're being completely irrational." Severus stated in the silence after Draco's broken explanation. "Just tell Potter you love him, Bond with him and get this over with. Firewhiskey?"

"No thanks." Draco frowned as Severus stood to get himself a drink. "So you don't think as soon as we Bond…everything we like about each other will fizzle out and we'll end up like my mother and father? I won't bring another me into this?"

Severus sat back down with his tumbler. "Ha…" He seemed to pause to rethink what he was saying. "Slytherins and Gryffindors…make surprisingly good mixes in the real world. It won't happen to you two." He finished cryptically, taking a gulp.

"I'm afraid I'll mess everything up Severus. If I'm honest to myself, I have money and looks and it'd seem like everything I could want…but I feel like Harry's too good for me and it's only a matter of time 'til…I lose him. I don't want to."

"The only way you'll lose him is if you keep up your crap." An ironic eyebrow arched. "Well, don't you have a fiancé to go make."

Draco stood as Severus drank the last of his drink and looked into the bottom of his glass. "Thanks Sev." He sighed heavily, then laughed shakily. "But maybe, I can still get him to hold back on the kids?" Draco threw some Floo powder into the fire from Severus' little bowl and smirked out at him. "I'm sure I'll be back soon with your godson-in-law. Ciao, Severus. 12 Grimmauld Place!"

* * *

Comments ARE welcomed. After all I've been running back and forth to fetch this for you people...I was gonna change my mind about posting tonight cuz the time to reread and fix it all up is seriously cutting into my monopoly time!P


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise. All HP characters and places belong to JK Rowling.

Chpts 2?

**Days Like These**

A few seconds before Draco made it into Severus Snape's chambers, Harry stumbled out of Grimmauld Place's fireplace and collapsed onto the library's sofa, trembling.

"Hello?"

"It's…just me Remus." Harry called out weakly.

"Harry!" Remus' footsteps came along until the door burst open and Remus hurried in smiling. He hugged him awkwardly standing up before plopping onto the sofa next to him. Then he looked over Harry and frowned. "Something's wrong. You haven't been in a while." Remus sighed. "Why do you only come visit me when something's wrong?"

"I don't want to intrude…" Harry said before looking around inquisitively from under his eyelashes. "I guess Severus isn't here? Or he'd have stormed in ready to hex whoever came through the Floo."

Remus' face shuttered. "If you'd visit more often you'd know we broke up months ago. And the rebound-boyfriend is gone too."

Harry looked up surprised and blinked before cringing. "Oh Gods. I'm sorry Remus." He bit his lip. "Shit. I'm insensitive."

"No, you've just been busy. And you're not insensitive Harry." Remus pulled him closer until they were huddled together.

"So…what happened?" Harry asked quietly, inquisitive.

Remus laughed softly. "You're way too curious you know that?" He shook his head before sighing. "We parted amicably. I care about him, love him, loved him," Remus corrected, face furrowed. "And he did me. But, part of his heart was also with someone else. And besides I can't bear children, which he wanted." He finished tightly.

"Oh wow. Wow." Harry lifted his head from Remus' shoulder. "I'm so sorry. God, life is so unfair!" He laughed caustically. "Draco doesn't want to Bond with me. Again! And doesn't want children it seems."

"Isn't it ironic?"

"A bit too much for me." Harry whispered. Remus agreed wordlessly, Harry didn't even have a clue. He held Harry, frowning over his scent, while Harry frowned over Remus' news.

"Wait a minute…he was cheating on you?" Harry looked appalled.

Remus shook his head with a smile. "No. He just…had feelings for someone else."

"He couldn't work them out?"

"Nope." Remus stood. "But I'm over that. Want to come to the kitchen? I was eating dinner."

"Don't want to talk about it do you?"

"Not really. Hope you like soup." And Remus headed to the kitchen.

* * *

"I can understand how you got scared by almost getting hit with that curse but trying to push Draco into a bonding won't help things either."

Harry sighed over his bowl of ice cream. The soup had been abandoned. "I know. But…I'm tired of waiting. It's always me waiting." Harry poked at his melting bowl. "I don't want to be a Hit Wizard anymore."

Remus nodded. "I always thought it was a bit too dangerous."

"But Ron liked it, Hermione thought it'd be disciplinary, Draco wanted me to move through the ranks and everyone else said do what was best. I think I did what was best for…someone else. But not for me."

"I say sit down and explain it to Draco when you're not so…distraught." Remus swirled his ice cream before looking up reluctantly. "So I guess you and Draco have been using contraceptive spells in your recent…dealings with each other?"

Harry's eyes darkened. "Yes he's been reminding me lately whenever he feels like jumping me. He doesn't trust me…I don't know if he thinks I'm going to get myself knocked up, un-Bonded in an attempt to reel him in!"

Remus kept poking at his ice cream. "Must be difficult for you…knowing you could get pregnant by mistake if your body just willed it, because you're so powerful…"

Harry grimaced. "Sometimes I wish I wasn't so powerful. But yeah, that's why we need the spells." He paused before bursting out again. "Draco is such a heel!"

"He's probably just scared Harry." Remus fiddled with his spoon nervously. "Does he really not want to have children so badly?"

"Avoids the topic like the plague." Harry deadpanned. "Don't know how he'd treat actually children."

"Err, maybe he's just scared at the idea. If you actually…got pregnant I'm sure he'd be much more understanding."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Are you encouraging me to get pregnant then spring it on him?"

"N-noo…not exactly." Remus stood with a weak smile. "Umm, you might just, want to go talk to Draco now. Really it's never as bad as it seems." He shunted Harry out of the kitchen and to the library with small shoves. "Go home. Work this out."

Harry looked at him weirdly, twisting in front of the fireplace. "Ooo-kaay. I'm going! Jeez." He grinned and Floo'ed back to Malfoy mansion, leaving Remus leaning next to the fireplace worriedly. Deep shite…deep shite…oh Gods Harry was in it up to his…

"Argh!" He jumped back from the fire as someone Floo'ed out.

"Hello Remus." Draco shook out his robes. "Harry here?"

* * *

"I just missed him? He's going back home?" Draco sighed. "Well, at least he's calmed down. Thanks Remus."

"Umm, Draco?" He paused from climbing back into the fire. "We talked and you know I told him to go home and talk to you."

"Yeah. I do need to talk to him too." Draco looked abashed and smiled. "I was…just being stupid." He shook his head. "I was worried about some things."

"That's what I told him." Remus smiled back and gave a little laugh. "Ah, you know I don't quite…that is, Harry thinks you don't want to have children."

"I do! Just not yet." Draco frowned. "Is that what he thinks? Really?"

"Well, you've been together seven years and you keep turning him down…"

"I'm just…insecure."

"So is Harry. So, umm, can I ask you to…keep a level head on for anything he might tell you? Soon?"

"Uhh," Draco looked lost. "Okay? Well I'm going to head back then. It's late."

"Okay. Bye." Remus swallowed guiltily as Draco left. "Yee-eah. And Harry's pregnant by the way." He muttered under his breath, turning from the fire. "I wish you both luck. You're going to need it Harry."

* * *

Harry had shrugged out of the sooty clothes he'd been in, having run around in Floos without his robes on and changed before starting on dinner when their own Floo spewed out his lover.

Green eyes looked undecided as they settled on him when he entered the kitchen. "Draco."

"Harry." Draco paused by the counter just looking at him before smiling hesitantly.

"I'm sorry." He walked into the kitchen area slowly, eyes steady on his lover. "I'm sorry about earlier. I'm sorry I was being an insecure prick."

Harry lifted his chin slightly with a small smile in return. "I forgive you." He ignored the cooking pots with a laugh as Draco wrapped him in a hug.

"I think I overreacted myself. I went and talked to Remus…I just, needed to calm down."

"I went and talked to Severus." Draco cocked his head slightly. "I needed to also. I needed reassurance and…I love you. I honestly do Harry. It's just I'm a…I don't want us to bring another me into this world. I don't want us to Bond, and have kids just to somehow fall out of love like my parents did." He whispered into Harry's ear.

"You're so stupid." Harry murmured.

"Yeah, that's what Severus said." Draco leaned back, arms still hugging Harry's body to his. "But he was there, he knows how I grew up with my parents because he was on occasion a buffer for me. We weren't as close as I'd have liked, but he was always there when I needed him…he always is. That's why I ran there tonight." Draco said depreciatingly.

"It will never be like that with us. I love you and you know I do. I'm not going to stop loving you unless…" Harry pouted slightly, furrowing his brow. "Unless you go around running over old ladies, drowning puppies and eating babies for breakfast!"

Draco snorted shaking his head. "Only you."

"Well it's something you'd never do. It's just to show I'll always love you." Harry pecked him on the lips teasingly. "Just never leave me okay?" He hugged Draco tightly again. "I can even…even wait on the Bonding and kids…" Harry whispered. "I can keep going the way we are for as long as you want as long as you're with me."

Draco blinked. It was tempting. Just so bloody tempting to…leave off the other part of what Severus had told him to do. Harry was willing to give him what he wanted…again.

_Again_.

"Actually…" Draco stepped back clearing his throat and looked around nervously.

"This isn't the smoothest delivery ever but…I'm willing to compromise."

"Compromise?" Harry blinked, hope building. When they compromised before Draco always took five years off the time he was saying they'd keep working. If he took five off thirty…

"Next year?" Harry asked hoarse with excitement. "I can quit…we can get married next year?"

Draco grinned cockily. "Well if you want to wait until then…I was thinking more…we Promise…now."

Harry stood speechless. _Now_.

"Now?" He whispered. "Right now?"

"Yesss…" Draco drawled smoothly and stepped forward to hug his love again. "And since pure-blood etiquette demands I have a proper wedding and decent Promise time then we can be Bonded in a few months." He finished in a whisper to Harry's ear.

"Oh God. Oh Merlin…_Merlin_!" Harry screeched jumping on Draco. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes! Before you change your mind!" He laughed deliriously. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! Oh God!" He kissed his fiancé hungrily, knowing it would lead to bed. But blah, what did he care if they didn't have any dinner tonight! Draco wanted to marry him! They were going to have kids!

* * *

Harry frowned deeply, nibbling thoughtfully on a biscuit as he lay on his stomach on the bed, carefully writing out what the Bonding invitation would say. And then after this he had to get the guest list together…he grunted suddenly with a grimace and rolled over onto his back.

He did not have time for this! He and Draco had wasted almost all month after their Promise in post-coital, sometimes without the sex, bliss and had wasted planning time. Draco had continued to write a bit while he had had his judgement hearing, resigned with honors and had splurged from his vault. They could always put back the Promise Draco had said, if Harry became to too overworked rushing, but Harry refused to put this off when he wanted it so badly. He would finish this bloody invite right now, bad fish dinner last night or not!

He arched as his fiancé opened the door to their bedroom and grinned up at him, upside down.

"Draco!"

"Is that position conductive to writing?" A slim eyebrow arched. Harry sniggered before he could stop himself, but quickly righted his position when he realized that it was, indeed, extremely difficult to write like that. He shuffled around until he was sitting with his legs crossed in front of him and then pulled the parchment closer again, and resumed his nibbling on the end of the quill. His brows furrowed again as he read over what he had, and then he glanced back up to see that Draco was still standing in the doorway, watching him with an unreadable expression.

"Fancy helping with these?" He asked, gesturing to the mess before him. Draco blinked at him and then down to the parchment as if seeing what they were for the first time … and then seemed to hesitate.

"I can't, Remus and Severus will be arriving any minute and I need to be ready to greet them." He replied, almost too quickly, but Harry had already gone back to his frowning.

"Okay – just tell me if this sounds alright then?" he asked distractedly and Draco murmured something of an affirmative as he crossed the bedroom and opened the wardrobe, searching for something decent to wear.

Harry cleared his throat and then straightened out the parchment he had been writing on.

"Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy cordially invite you, insert name, to attend their bonding ceremony, which will be held on the twentieth of May. Please reply as soon as possible to let us know whether you will be attending." He read out in a clear voice and then waited patiently. Draco made another noise in the back of his throat but otherwise showed no intention of saying anything. Harry frowned and crossed his arms. "Well?"

Draco paused what he was doing and then snatched the nearest robe, turning to look at him. A weak smile, that _must_ have felt as fake as it looked, worked its way across the blonde's face and then with an elegant shrug of the shoulders, Draco turned for the door.

"It's … a little dry." Then he was gone.

Harry frowned at the closed door for a good five minutes before his eyes fell back to the parchment. With a frustrated sigh, he screwed it up and threw it in the bin, turning back to a now blank piece. Draco had been acting a little strange for a while now, but Harry merely assumed that his fears were coming back, now that it was all happening. He did all he could to soothe his lover's fears, and made nearly all of the arrangements himself – hence his asking Severus and Remus to come in and help him with it. He was sure that, when all the excitement had passed, Draco would calm down and be able to overcome his insecurities. At least, he hoped so. It certainly wasn't doing much for _Harry's_ insecurities.

He stayed for another ten minutes, jotting out a brief and formal invitation and doodling a few designs around the edges, and when he had finally decided on that, he pushed himself up to get dressed as well.

Just as he was doing the buttons up on his robes, the door opened and a house elf stepped inside with a curt bow. No matter how many times he tried to tell them that that wasn't necessary, they always insisted. Draco had never agreed with his thoughts on the house-elf's treatment and so he desired to be called "master" and be shown respect. Harry had always put it down to being a pureblood, and having been brought up by them more than he had by his parents, when he was younger. It was logical, and it was something that Harry could ignore.

"Your guests is here, Master Harry." The house-elf, Tinkle, said as she kept her eyes on the floor, and Harry nodded, straightening up.

"Very well, thank you Tinkle." He murmured in reply and watched as the house-elf bowed again before popping out of the room, and most likely, back to the kitchens. He finished dressing and combed his hair back, as Draco insisted, and then moved swiftly and silently through the halls of the Manor. It had taken him a long time to get used to so much space, but now he had to admit that he kind of liked it. That didn't mean that he wouldn't prefer a nicely sized cottage somewhere, with just enough room for him, Draco, and a few kids, of course, but he was happy here. Now, after seven years, things were finally moving along, and perhaps soon, there would be a child on the way to help fill the emptiness of the vast Mansion.

He smiled at the thought as he stepped out into the Entrance Hall and then into the large study, where Draco had led their guests.

The next few hours were spent discussing the 'big day', which was getting closer and closer. Flower arrangements were agreed upon, and uncomfortable silences were aplenty. There was definitely a certain edginess between Severus and Remus, that did not go unmissed by either Harry nor his fiancé. Then, when Severus Snape wasn't giving Harry that blank, intense and weighing stare, Remus could be seen sniffing the air and then giving Draco the same look that Severus was giving Harry. It was confusing, but Harry put it off to displeasure. Snape, he could understand would be displeased, considering the man hated him – but why Remus? Why did Remus disprove of his and Draco's joining? Perhaps it was something else entirely.

Whatever it was, Harry soon forgot about it as details and details and more details piled up around him.

It certainly felt refreshing to be able to share his ideas with others, but whenever Draco decided to break his sudden indifference, it was to shoot down Harry's visions. Harry wanted a small and quiet white wedding, placed outside, and he wanted Albus to be the one to bless them. As he was technically a little younger than Draco, he would be considered the 'wife' and thus he hoped that Remus would be the one to give him away. In his mind, he had the perfect picture of a stunning white gazebo, green grass, beautiful flowers and surrounded by seats of no more than a hundred.

Surprisingly, Snape seemed to approve of the idea, and even added a few nice touches himself.

Draco, though, was all for a huge wedding, held in a church. He said it was traditional – and it was with a great sinking of the heart that Harry backed down and agreed.

* * *

"Was it just me or were Severus and Remus really…uncomfortable here today?" Harry frowned sadly down at the notes he was gathering up as Draco flitted in and out of his study.

"Mm…"

"I mean, I know they broke up. Remus and I talked about it, you know, last time I visited. But…do you think they don't want us getting Bonded?"

Draco froze in the doorway blinking. "Why would you say that? Severus was…well, he encouraged me to…"

Harry's brows furrowed. "To…?"

"Ask you to marry me. When I went to him I thought you were being an arse and he said I was, and told me if I didn't buck up I'd lose you."

Green eyes blinked, surprised. "I thought he didn't like me."

Draco sneered. "That's just for show. I won't say he loves you but he's…complimented you once or twice."

A shy smile crept onto Harry's face. "Really?"

Draco waved a hand. "If anything I'd think Remus didn't like _me_! Sniff stare. Sniff stare. That was all he did this evening besides go 'hmm' 'yes' 'no' and flick glances at Severus."

"Remus doesn't have the capacity to not like someone." Harry said smiling. He dropped the parchments back onto the coffee table and ambled over to Draco, to wrap arms around his neck pressing his body to his. "He's my family and he loves you as much as I do."

Draco smiled, brittle and glassy before pulling back. "Well I'm sure you want to finish up…I think I'll work a bit tonight too."

Harry bit his lip, clenching his arms at his sides. "Draco. Every since your attitude about this Bonding changed I've…let it pass, but maybe we should talk. If you're having insecurities again…"

"Please Harry. I'm just going to go do some work alright? Stop acting like there's some mystery behind that. _I_ have a job and I can't just stop because we're getting Bonded." Draco looked away as Harry's eyes widened in pained shock and moved out to his study. He seethed inside as he heard steps hurrying after him and stepped behind his desk as Harry stumbled to a stop before it, eyes teary.

"I can't believe you said that." Harry whispered. "How dare…how could you throw that back in my face!" Grey eyes squeezed shut. "Look at me you bastard! Do you think with how you're acting I'm feeling secure myself? But I'm not lashing out at you…at least not 'til just now…" Harry's voice wavered. "Draco…please, talk to me. I can't…make this better if you don't…"

Draco stopped rubbing his eyes and looked up at the sound of hitched breathing to find Harry doubled over, clutching his stomach and pale and sweaty.

"Harry?" Draco stood suddenly, and pushed out from behind the desk as Harry backed away waving a hand.

"Do what…you want." He covered his mouth and hurried out.

* * *

A/N: Potentially embarrassing moment narrowly avoided there people. On LJ I've posted til chapter four and here has only got one. I updated four tonight and whenI got here...thinking I was still dealing with the same chapter, I came THIS close --> to posting chapter four as two. Lol


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise. All HP characters and places belong to JK Rowling.

Chpts 3?

**Days Like These**

Harry groaned rolling over sleepily, wondering why the bed felt cold. He wriggled towards the spot Draco usually was and met chilly sheets and pillow. He opened his eyes slowly, reluctant.

Draco hadn't come to bed.

Harry squeezed his eyes shut as they tingled. He was not going to cry because Draco was being…silly. How many times did he have to tell the man he loved him for him to feel secure? Harry took a deep breath and sat up with a sigh, before his aching back reminded him where he'd spent the evening last night. Hunched over the toilet, puking and crying, he blanched.

_Without Draco_, a small voice reminded him.

Well he had told him to do as he wished. Of course he'd thought Draco would care enough to come after him and make sure he wasn't dying! Shaking his head and pushing away his hurt he got out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom to clean up. His mouth tasted like shit, several scrubs or not and he needed a hot bath desperately. He climbed out an hour later well sweated, relaxed and wet. He toweled off lazily and shrugged into a fluffy robe, tying it loosely before heading downstairs. He passed the study and stuck his head in curiously at the lack of sound and frowned. Draco was sprawled on the couch, breathing lightly as he slept. So he just hadn't come to bed. Harry straightened the shoulders that had slouched unconsciously and went in to lay the quilt over him. Draco was still his fiancé and the man he loved. They would work this out. Whatever _this_ was.

Harry sighed and continued to the kitchen, shuffling. He didn't understand what the problem could be unless…Draco just didn't want to Bond. He had said Severus was the reason he'd come home after the fight and asked Harry to Promise himself to him. If this was the case, Harry would be disappointed but he'd rather not getting Bonded than this Draco, who lashed out at him, put him down and was generally what could cause their love to fail in the end.

There was only so much he could take, Harry thought sadly, shooing the house elves away to make his own breakfast as they wrung their tiny hands. All was going well as the kettle whistled for their tea that the elves scrambled to fix until Harry decided to make some scrambled eggs. It was just…the look of them mid-cooked. All wet, and gloopy and…ugh.

Harry moaned under his breath and stumbled hurriedly for a chair. He'd never realized how nasty the stuff he ate was…

"Harry?" He turned suddenly, still pale, at the sound of Draco's husky voice.

"You're up." Harry bit his lip and pushed up off the chair to stand. "I-I put on the kettle so you can have some tea…and, err, the elves are making French toast I think."

Grey eyes frowned as they looked swiftly over his face. "You look sick."

"I'm fine." And you didn't care last night when I spent an hour over a toilet bowl and you were doing whatever! Harry raged inside. Outside he said tightly. "Sit down. Your back must be feeling sleeping on the couch last night."

There was a silence as Draco stared him down as he stared back. Then Draco sat as an elf popped next to him with his tea.

"I'll sleep where I prefer."

Harry flinched slightly. "I think I'll go dress." He said finally. He only swayed slightly as he moved off but Draco's sharp eyes caught it and followed him out of the kitchen. He'd been gone half-hour before Draco, bored with his food, followed. To find him hunched over the toilet again.

"What the hell!" Draco caught him mid heave; rubbing his back roughly as his eyes watered and he dry heaved convulsively.

"…'m…fine." Followed by another wave of dry heaves.

"Like fuck you are!" Draco fumbled in the medicine cabinet for an anti-nausea potion making Harry drink it and making sure it stayed down, before helping him to his feet. "Wash up and dress. I'll go change and we can go."

"Go…where? I can't go anywhere…I'm obviously sick. Suppose I start up again in public…?"

"Don't be stupid Harry. I'm taking you to St. Mungo's to be looked over."

Harry withered in on himself. "Fine."

* * *

Quick preparation, a short Floo and brisk walk to the Magical Maladies area brought them to Healer Bigglewart in a private room.

"Well, Mr. Potter. It's no illness I've ever heard of with those symptoms but a quick scan will show if it is what I think it is." Harry nodded his agreement from his spot lying on the bed as the Healer wiggled his wand and muttered waving it over him. Harry didn't know what the blue-white-blue flash meant but the Healer surely did as he grinned happily.

"Well, I think this will make the magical world quite happy! And you two of course."

Harry sat up pulling down his shirt and looked at the doctor confused. Draco stepped forward hurriedly.

"What's that mean?"

"Well, you're a bit late with the symptoms I guess that's why you wouldn't know but…Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter. You're going to be parents." The Healer turned back to Harry. "You're pregnant."

"What?" Harry breathed out softly.

"It's a boy. About two months and…a couple of weeks along. Developing nicely. He's healthy and you are too though I'd suggest you go to a pediatrician Healer and find out if it's getting enough iron and vitamins and all…"

The doctor's swift speech was broken by the ringing crack of the slap that couldn't have startled anyone more than Harry, even if he hadn't felt it. But to his immediate mind, he couldn't figure out why Draco looked angry…

"Draco…" Harry whispered cupping his right cheek.

"You fucking planned this!" Draco yelled.

"What!" Harry yelped back.

"You knew didn't you? You got yourself pregnant when you knew I wasn't ready!" "No! Draco…I-I…I didn't know. I would never…" Harry's eyes teared up helplessly, cheek stinging with a vengeance now. "How could you say such a thing?"

"Don't play fucking innocent with me Harry! Batting those big green eyes only got you your way with Dumbledore! Fuck! It's so fucking obvious! If Severus hadn't convinced me I was silly holding back you would have suddenly 'sprung up' pregnant and I'd be the gentleman and marry you! Merlin…"

Harry mouth soundlessly, Draco's words echoing in his head. He was just in shock. He didn't mean it…_couldn't_…mean it!

They were both ignoring the Healer who was gesturing helplessly and pleading for them to calm down but Draco was leaning angrily into his face, gray eyes flashing.

"You're a slut. Nothing but a fucking slut. You'd get yourself knocked up to try to reel me in." He hissed poisonously. "Gods, did you even think about the innocent life you're using! I TOLD YOU I DIDN'T WANT FUCKING CHILDREN YET!"

Harry squeezed his eyes shut, springing up off the bed. "Shut up! Just shut up Draco! I can't _believe_ you'd think this but I don't want to hear anymore!" Harry shook his head angrily. "And by the way, _it takes two to tango_."

"I used contraceptive spells!"

"When you weren't too overeager jumping me!" Harry shot back. "Think you stupid arsehole! The baby is over two months old! This happened since _before_ we had that fight."

Healer Bigglewart had already backed out and was blubbering in the doorway as raw magic sparked between them.

"You always did think long term Harry." Draco sneered. "I'm not going to stay here and listen to you imagine up threstral shit to feed me!" He swiveled on his heel and marched out.

The Healer jumped out of the way, yelling something to Harry's back as he ran after Draco and turned him around with a rough tug of his arm.

"Don't you fucking walk away from me! I don't know what the hell is wrong with your head Draco but if you think this is all some elaborate plan to reel you in you don't know me very well! Do I look like Pansy Parkinson to you? Anyone who knows me knows I would never…"

"I don't know you anymore Harry! It's like you're a fucking different person! We used to have fun and have sex and live together happily just like that and now all of a sudden you're harping repeatedly, continuously on me, why can't you quit? Why can't we get Bonded? Why can't you have kids?" Draco backed him into the corridor wall and slammed a fist into it. "Now we can't go back! Because you won't have it terminated right?"

Harry gaped. "_Never_. Never!"

Draco sneered. "Now why isn't that surprising."

"You…you are the only one who doesn't understand Draco! Remus knows! But he can't have it. Severus knows but can't have it with who he wants. I just want to have a _family_! A proper family…is that _so_ much…" He broke off with a sob.

"_Yes_. Yes it is! I don't want _it_! And I want you out of my house! OUT!"

Harry gasped helplessly, leaning on the wall. "Fuck you Malfoy!" His breaths hitched as Draco turned and stalked swiftly down the corridor. "I don't fucking _need_ you!" he took several deep gasping breaths before breaking down. "I don't…I…_don't_…"

"Mr. Potter?" a group of gathered Healers and trainees had gathered from the commotion and a vial of Calming Draught was pushed into his hands, which he necked back gasping around the liquid. Everything would be okay. He just had to…calm down, and think rationally. He'd go home and talk to Draco…

* * *

But Harry soon found out Draco wasn't home when he went back there. Draco was at a wizarding pub drinking himself drunk. He spent an hour doing that while Harry paced up and down the Floo room. Then he made his way to a Floo and headed to Grimmauld Place, drunkenly thinking Severus would be there while Harry was sitting cross-legged in front of the fire waiting and worrying. By the time Draco had assaulted an angry Remus, who was a week from his next transformation and the attack had degenerated into sex, Harry was curled in front of the fire with a blanket and a pillow. Worried, ever watchful, waiting.

He woke the next morning suddenly at an exclamation. He rolled over drowsily.

"Har…Potter!"

He moaned fitfully and hugged the pillow whimpering.

"Potter." Harry shivered as a hand settled on his shoulder and he shaken awake slowly.

"Wh…what?" He blinked blearily. Squinted. And blinked again. "Severus?"

Severus Snape was indeed crouched next to him with a scowl on his face. "What are you doing sleeping in the middle of the Floo room Potter? If Draco has kicked you out of bed you do realize there are over ten fully equipped guestrooms?"

Harry's face crumpled suddenly making Snape pause.

"Something happened."

"I'm not usually stupid enough to sleep in the middle of a Floo room, no…Draco didn't come back last night. I'm…worried."

"I suppose we'll have to go looking for him. But I came here to ask you if you could firecall Remus for me. I don't know if he's blocked me now, which would be very foolish of him, considering only I can get him his Wolfsbane potion."

"You can't get through to him?" Harry rubbed his eyes and pushed away his pillow fretfully. "Okay just…give me a moment."

Harry stood shakily, leaning on the mantle a bit more than he'd have liked to in front of Severus but…he was tired. Yesterday seemed to have caught up with him.

_He was pregnant._

Yes he would think about that later. Right now, worry about Draco. Get in touch with Remus. He pinched a bit of Floo powder between his fingers and threw it into the fire before kneeling and sticking his head in. After yelling out the address he made it through the spinning without vomiting, miraculously and looked throughout the kitchen of Grimmauld Place.

"Remus!" He listened and heard nothing. "Remuuuus! REMUS!" He waited a minute before pulling out. And he turned on his knees to Snape.

"Nothing."

Severus had moved the blanket and pillow off the floor and helped him up indifferently. "Then I'll just go over and give him this. Maybe he's sleeping in."

Harry kept the thought to himself that Remus only slept in while _entertaining_ and decided to make up for it, maybe spare Severus some hurt.

"I think I'll go with you. You can wait in the library and I'll just pop it up to him. You don't want to…you know, pop up on him in bed and have bad memories…well, good memories! But just that…well you're not together anymore…okay, I'll just shut up now. Just remember I've not had my coffee yet." Harry murmured fixing himself up on the spot with his wand. He was rewarded with a snort.

When Harry had finished Severus gave him a weighing look. "You need more sleep Potter. And not on the floor of your Floo room. When you and Draco work whatever out…get some sleep."

Harry smiled weakly. "Maybe."

Severus went first and stepped into the Floo calling out his destination before Harry followed. He stepped out feeling a bit green but didn't stumble and saved himself the embarrassment of falling into Severus' arms like he'd always somehow done back in seventh year at school after their Floo trips together.

"He's not up yet."

Harry cringed at Severus' flat tone. Seems he'd figured out why Remus was sleeping in. "Really, look I'll just take it up like I said I would…"

"Is that why you came?" Severus became 'Snape' as he crossed his arms and glared. "I am not a little child. I do not need protection from what the _grown ups_ do."

Harry flushed. "Sorry but…you know, it must still be fresh even if time has passed…I always thought you and Remus would be good together…and you were so…." Harry shrugged. "There's no use giving yourself bad memories of Remus okay? So just give me the phials."

Snape huffed before pulling out a small wooden box and he pushed it into Harry's hands. "Hurry up. From here I'll help you find Draco."

Harry smiled weakly but happy. "Thank you, I'd appreciate it." Then trotted out of the library and up the stairs.

He knew which one was Remus' of course but he couldn't just walk in and leave the vials. Merlin knows who he was in there with. So Harry crept into the room next door and into the adjoining bathroom between the two, to put the phial box by the sink.

"…don't know what happened last night! Gods, what the hell were you thinking? Attacking me! Don't you know what happens to people who do that to werewolves close to the full moon!"

There was a reply Harry couldn't hear from Remus' bed partner but he flinched anyway. Someone had attacked Remus in his overdrive state? Had Remus gone out? He knew better than that!

"Let's just say getting your ass fucked raw was lucky!" Remus cried hysterically. There was a pause. "Look, I don't know what happened between you two…but just _go home_, work it out, don't tell him about this please?

It'd…hurt him so much…" He was pleading with the other man.

Harry was just setting the box down as carefully and soundlessly as could so he could leave before he heard anything he wouldn't want to, though he had already gotten the idea whoever was in there with Remus had just cheated on some significant other, when a husky voice that was familiar answered.

"It's over between Harry and I." Draco's voice was heavy with sleep but sure. "I don't want to talk about it! I told you last night. It's just over okay?"

Harry's heart had stopped the same moment he had heard Draco's distinctive drawl. And it shattered along with every phial in Severus' box as he dropped it.

"What was that?" Draco hissed suddenly as Harry shrank back against the wall of the bathroom, gasping.

Remus frowned. "I don't know…why would something just…" A bed creaked as someone got out of it and Harry froze against the other door as he watched the one Remus was heading for.

Then another door opened.

"Severus?"

"Severus!" Remus' steps turned suddenly from the door and Harry sighed shakily in relief. He just wanted to get out. Get out now.

"Draco. Get up. Dressed. Now!"

"Severus," Draco's drawl came through the door again as Harry vanished the remains of the phials while shrinking Severus' box for carrying. "Your claim on Remus is long done and I'm a big boy. You're not my father."

But Severus' attention seemed to have moved. "Remus, I've never been disappointed in you in my life. It's even worse you could hit the bottom of the bucket on your first offense."

"Severus…"

"Draco get your ass off of that bed, get dressed and get out!"

"Why! Why! What is your fucking problem?"

Harry took a deep breath and showed himself. "I could ask you the same thing Draco Malfoy." Harry stepped out of the bathroom, pulling the door shut behind him and facing the three people in the bedroom, courage failing already.

"Harry…" Remus breathed out softly, tugged sheet covering his nakedness.

"Harry." Draco said flatly.

He ignored them both for the moment. "Severus, your box." He took it from his pocket and handed it out to the Potions Master. "I'd appreciate it if you could…leave us."

"I will not…" He started indignantly.

"At least wait outside. Please?" Harry said with quiet calm. They had a brief argument with their eyes before Severus whirled and slammed the door behind him.

"Harry…it's not what you think…!" Remus started apologetically, nervously.

"I heard quite enough. So if I happened to think…Draco came here for some reason, you two had a fight, it got physical, then it got _physical_ I'd be wrong?"

"I didn't mean to! I didn't…Merlin Harry _please_…"

"And I'd not be wrong either if I thought you were just going to hide it from me and hope that Draco and I would work things out with me none the wiser?" Harry's voice cracked.

"I don't know what happened between the two of you…but I didn't want to make it any worse! That's all Harry. If I had to have kept it from you 'til the day I died to keep you happy I would have…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Harry stepped back as Remus moved forward. "Don't come near me." His face twisted and green eyes flashed.

"You smell of sex."

Remus recoiled suddenly, amber eyes pained.

"How 'bout you Draco? No hurried pleads for forgiveness to make?" Harry asked, voice edged with hysteria.

"What do I have to apologize for?" Draco was still pointedly just in boxers and not making an effort to hide it.

There was a heavy pause along with a thump outside.

"I see. So _none_ of this is your fault."

"I didn't tell you to go get yourself knocked up." Draco sneered disgustedly. "You should have known I wouldn't want it. I told you I didn't want kids yet."

"I couldn't understand Draco! What was the big difference between now and then! I spent…" Harry's voice cracked as he sobbed in air. "All night, sleeping in the Floo room waiting for you! Thinking about what was this great crime I'd committed to deserve the things you said to me…"

"You always got your way Harry. You always do! And whenever someone wants differently they must conform to your wishes. You just couldn't live with the fact I wanted something different."

Harry breathed raggedly. "So that's it then? You still have some teenaged problems with what you perceive was me always getting my way! So when there was something I wanted you went against it? Is that what you're telling me Draco? THAT'S WHY YOU'RE GOING TO FUCKING RUIN YOUR CHILD'S LIFE…BEFORE IT'S EVEN FUCKING BEGUN!" By the time he was done he was hyperventilating and shuddering with his anger.

"Harry…please, calm down please…" Remus beseeched from where he had retreated.

"CALM DOWN! YOU CALM THE FUCK DOWN WHEN YOU'VE JUST FOUND THE MAN YOU LOVE, THE FATHER OF YOUR UNBORN CHILD IN BED WITH SOMEONE YOU VIEW AS A FAMILY MEMBER! THEN YOU CAN TELL ME TO CALM THE FUCK DOWN!" Harry screamed, magic leaking freely from him.

"It's not mine." Draco said flatly. And looked into Harry's furious, tearful eyes as he spoke again. "I disown it."

"Draco shut up. Just shut up!" Remus yelled.

Harry was shaking violently, about to give in to his magic and just rip the house apart when a Stupefy hit him from behind.

* * *

A/N: bounces excitedly as she restocks her media player after losing all her songs to the devil of the old piece-of-crap computer


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: i no own.

Chapt 4?

**Days Like These**

Harry shuddered for long moments after the Ennervate had passed, as if the gap in time in between Grimmauld Place and his awakening had never happened.

"Mr. Potter, you're lucky you still have your baby."

Harry cracked his eyes open fuzzily. "Madam Pomfrey?" he whispered incredulously.

"And here I thought I'd never see you again. Welcome back to the Hospital Wing, Harry."

He was at Hogwarts. Harry shook again as his last remembered half-hour flitted through his head. He wished he'd died.

"Mr. Potter." A low voice called from the other side of his bed. Ah, the bastard who _wouldn't_ just let him die.

"If I didn't…know better Severus," Harry said turning his head with a weak groan. "I'd think you were beginning to like playing hero."

"You might have survived." Severus said bluntly. "And you'd have regretted the loss of your child, Draco and Remus so I merely saved you some…inconvenience."

Harry squeezed his eyes shut. "Right now I don't think I'd have…_regrets_," Harry hissed bitterly. "About losing them, but yes, perhaps I would for my baby…and you. You were there."

"I could have made my escape quickly enough if I'd planned on leaving you there." He waved a pale hand vaguely.

Harry looked Severus over and turned away from him after a moment.

"Thank you."

There was a pause before Madam Pomfrey set some phials down by his bed and then bustled off.

"Remus was here." Harry flinched but Severus plowed on. "He was very worried about you and the baby…and apologized profusely for the…situation."

"When apologizing profusely helps I'll get back to him." Harry said coldly, glaring at the ceiling.

"Also, Albus will be coming to see you later. I do not know how to tell you this but Draco says he had asked you to leave his house and by rights…I gathered your belongings from the residence. They are in my…our chambers…" He stumbled verbally. "Your Firebolt did not survive the forced expulsion from Malfoy Manor. I'm sorry." The last words were rushed in a manner quite un-Severus like and would have made Harry laugh at the awkwardness were it not for the news of the loss of the last physical thing he had of Sirius'.

"Damn Draco. Damn him!" His voice broke. "I don't understand!"

The lines of anguish were still clear on his face even with his eyes shut and Severus mourned the loss of the defiant Harry Potter he remembered…this one was so broken.

"Poppy looked over the baby. There's a nutrient supplement over there. There's a Calming Draught there too but it's not needed now." Gone unsaid was the 'it will be later'. "And Dreamless Sleep. A weak version but it should help none the less. Drink it."

Harry did so hesitantly, frowning at Severus afterwards but he lay down and let it begin to work on him.

"I must be going to prepare the…other rooms of my suite for you. I suppose you'll want to talk to Albus about getting you changed somewhere else though…"

"So'k…" Harry said drowsily. "I don't…mind…"

"Sleep Potter." Severus waited until the green eyes closed to admire the look of those black locks against his pale fingers. He left with a regretful sigh.

* * *

"Mm, nnhm dhhnn!" Harry's body quivered on the bed as his head thrashed. "Draco! Draccooo!" He howled and shot awake suddenly as Poppy came running in. 

"Harry!"

"He doesn't love me anymore!" Harry cried, shaking violently. "He-he…He doesn't…love me!"

"Harry please stop!" Whipping her wand out Poppy restrained Harry to the bed and held his head still with her hands. "If you hurt yourself you'll hurt the baby! Please control yourself."

"Draco!" Harry sobbed.

"You're just dreaming Harry. Just dreaming." Poppy soothed. She stroked his forehead softly. "He's not here."

Harry sniffled pathetically, dragging in a breath. "Did he…try to kill me, really?"

"You were just dreaming." Poppy took off the binding on him. "Draco didn't try to kill you."

"Why…where?…" Harry looked around confused, struggling onto his arms. "Why…why am I at Hogwarts?"

Madam Pomfrey sighed sadly. "You got overexcited and had a magical overload. Do you remember Harry?"

He groaned. "What? My head hurts…please, I don't…"

"You had an argument with Remus and Draco…"

"No! Don't." Harry squeezed his eyes shut, tears leaking out. "I don't want to remember." He covered his ears.

"Harry…" A calm, wizened voice said softly. "Don't say that. You know the power of words."

"I don't want to." Harry said definitely. "I know why Draco isn't here! He doesn't love me! And I don't want to know anything else!"

With a muttered spell, Harry whimpered before slipping into boneless relaxation.

"You need to relax, de-stress yourself and calm down or you'll hurt your baby. Your healthy, _innocent,_ baby boy is depending on you."

After a few minutes Harry's breathing had evened out and he was just gasping softly.

"_Albus_…" Harry shuddered, opening his eyes. "You always did lay on the guilt trips."

"Only to help you my boy." The blue eyes shimmered sadly. "Being with child should be a happy occasion. I'm sorry to hear your nuptials are off."

Harry pushed himself up his pillows and scrubbed at his face, breath hitching. "I don't…understand…what happened. One day I was happy even if a little worried about Draco's insecurities. The next, our Bonding is off and he doesn't want me anymore because I'm pregnant with _his_ child!"

Albus looked over Harry appraisingly. "It doesn't just happen like that. It seems Draco's insecurities have destroyed your relationship from the inside out. Involving a child in it just makes it more tragic. But you _must_ think about the child." Harry grunted, suddenly not able to look at himself. "Also, I'm afraid the incident at St. Mungo's made it out…"

Harry blanched suddenly. "Lay all the bad news on me all at once why don't you?" He wheezed out. "Bloody hell. The Prophet! Right? Am I right?"

"Harry," Albus' tone was warning, making him suck in air and take deep breaths.

"But I'm right aren't I? And they've probably taken Draco's _side_."

"It does not matter. I only thought to inform you because when you move out into the castle you will be getting attention."

Harry paled some more. "School's still going on…all the kids are here." He whispered. "I can't take this again Albus. All of them looking at me accusingly."

"They are kids Harry. They don't understand what's going on. The ones that tend to believe all they read will never learn. And you will have those people behind you that know you."

"You make it sound so easy…you always make it sound so easy." Harry sighed wearily. "I'm tired again."

"You did over tax yourself. Have another nap. Severus will come for you this evening to take you to your rooms."

"…Albus? Don't you ever think…? I mean, I learnt long ago that you were always right in your trust of Severus," Harry blushed. "But don't you ever think you put too much on him? Hell, making him have to live with me…_I'm pregnant_…eventually I'll be a terror."

"He'll welcome you back Harry." Albus smiled slightly. "And besides, soon he will be Deputy Head to Minerva and one day Headmaster himself…he has to start learning to cope with tough situations sometime."

Harry was left gaping as Albus rose from his bedside and left.

* * *

He had just woken and was stretching energetically in the bed when the Hospital Wing's doors opened. 

"Potter." Harry fidgeted and settled back onto the bed as the sharp black eyes swept over him. "It seems the potion has done its job, short time. You'll get another to sleep tonight."

"Severus," Harry sat up with a small smile. "Call me Harry. You have before. Don't go and revert to snapping 'Potter' at me."

"I am sorry." Severus replied stiffly. "I was just trying to be, proper, as it has been a while since we…have interacted together." He strode over as Harry pushed himself up off the bed.

"I'm ready for a nice hot bath. And a book. To escape for a few hours." Harry sighed heavily.

"It will only help temporarily I assure you." Severus said shortly as he maneuvered Harry into leaning against him as he stood.

"I'd say thank you but you'd refuse it so…" Harry adopted a petulant tone with a pout. "_Put me down, I'm not a baby_! And there you have a reason to snap at me now. Enjoy."

"You are an idiot Harry." Severus muttered affectionately as he led him out, propped vaguely against his side in case some child wasn't at dinner. Harry smiled happily hearing it and sighed before pushing off Severus. "Let me try though okay? I'm not totally weak."

He made the whole walk to the dungeons himself with Severus hovering imposing around him and snapping at him about 'being a fool' for taking the stairs so 'recklessly'. If he'd gone any slower he'd be still on the fourth floor, Harry thought with a snort as he waited for the Potions Master to open their chambers.

"The password is _Veri Tascum_. The portrait is of Ima Nervdoun, a past Potions Mistress. If she asks you any questions about Potions and says it's 'secondary pass' tell her that's demiguise doo. She'll let you pass then."

Harry snickered. "I can't believe you just said doo. Like…doody." He laughed. Severus bristled. "It's just…so not you."

"It's a secondary password and _she_ chose it." He scowled. Harry rolled his eyes at that and nodded as somberly as he could. When Severus had turned away again, apparently satisfied, Harry allowed another small smile to spread across his face as he followed the older wizard inside.

It was only when the door closed behind him and he was left to look around the Potion Masters' front room that it hit him: this was all real. He wasn't dreaming. He wasn't about to wake up any minute to find his fiancé in his bed next to him, shaking him awake. No, it was as real as the child inside him was. He and Draco were … over.

As if sensing where Harry's thoughts had led him, Severus stepped forward with the intention of distracting him.

"Come on, if you wish, we can spend a few minutes redecorating the spare room to your liking, that is, of course, if you wish to stay here…"

"Oh!" Harry said, blinking up at him with surprise. "I – I'd love to. That is...if I wouldn't be imposing too much? I mean – I'm sure it would be no problem for Albus to set me up some more rooms…"

Severus cut him off with a dismissive wave of the hand and Harry allowed himself to be led through the spacious front room and into another short hallway, towards the bedrooms he supposed.

The room that was apparently his, for the time being anyway, was quite nearly bare. The walls were obviously the same stone that covered the other rooms as well, but there was no carpet on the floor yet. There was a large king size four-poster bed, a set of drawers, a desk and chair and a wardrobe. There was another door that led into a surprisingly large and new bathroom, all made with beautiful black and gold marble. His things had already been distributed to his room and placed at the end of the bed, still packed up neatly. There wasn't much at all, but then, everything he owned had been Draco's as well. The blonde never had shared that sentiment. Whatever Draco bought was Draco's alone and he was adamant in that. Harry had never really focused on it before but now he realized how selfish it was.

Sighing, Harry glanced around again and then looked up when a movement caught his eye. He saw Severus smirk, twirling his wand in his hand, and then the older wizard gestured over to the room again.

"So, what do you want? Red carpets? Gryffindor banners?" he asked silkily, almost teasing, and Harry found himself smiling again even as he blinked tears out of his eyes.

"Ahh – no thanks. I think I'll settle for … blues and greens?"

Severus gave him a searching look before nodding sharply and flicked his wand offhanded. The bed, the walls, the floor…A pause after the color addition before he changed the wood of the furniture and then he stepped back to let Harry judge.

Harry blinked, surprised at how nice it looked. He liked it; he liked it a lot. Either Severus knew his style or…

"You should have been an interior designer…" Harry walked over to the bed and stroked the sea green velveteen sheets, a small smile uncurling.

"Please. That's for people who have too much time and no ambition." Severus replied loftily, but he still looked pleased. The deep blue highlights around the mostly green room made it look dark but more soothing than imposing and where green and blue met, they seemed to blend.

"It really is beautiful. Thanks." Harry turned sitting on the bed with a sigh. Severus stood awkwardly before settling on the bed next to him edgily.

"It still hasn't hit you yet has it."

"Nope." Harry looked at the far blue-green stones and sighed again. He couldn't think about it now…he didn't want to break down in front of the man who was with him. Severus was strong and firm, but he wasn't going to lean on the man constantly. That'd be…weak.

"You cannot get away from what happened Harry. You must face it." Severus' deep voice soothed quietly. "You are pregnant. Remus and Draco made a mistake. Draco isn't here. It's over."

"Please…please can I just focus on one thing…at a time. I just…I'm just going to think about the baby. Take care of myself and prepare." Harry said, turning away.

"As you wish. That is the most important thing right now. Get some rest." The Potions Master stood. "You can call for a house elf if you need something."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he left. He was glad Severus hadn't pushed it. He just wasn't ready to give up on Draco yet. So…so Draco had slept with Remus. Harry shuddered, shaking his head, willing his tears back. So their engagement was off and their relationship in tatters. He choked back hysterical laughter. Oh boy, was it! But there was always hope right? If they could just talk, work this all out…they might not be Bonded anytime soon or ever but they could see if there was any chance of reconciliation…at least for the baby's sake.

* * *

The next morning was sort of awkward, Harry and Severus joining over the table at breakfast. Tying the belt on his robe tightly, Severus handed over the coffeepot hesitantly to an embarrassed Harry, who murmured his thanks, before snatching up the Prophet and reading religiously while drinking his coffee. 

He had made it to nibbling some toast before something occurred to him.

"Can I see yesterday's?"

Harry heard the crumple of paper as Severus' fingers clenched the newspaper before he lowered it.

"What?"

"The paper. Yesterday's Prophet. Please." He said firmly, lowering his toast.

"I don't have it. It went out yesterday." And the paper was back covering his face.

"Severus…" The paper lowered until black eyes were glaring over the top. "That's not going to intimidate me. I want the paper."

"I'm trying to read." The Potions Master replied curtly. "I told you I do not…"

"And I know you collect the papers…" Harry pointed over by the study area of the living room. "You have since seventh year that I know of. And now I come here they are mysteriously absent."

The newspaper lowered slowly. "The older ones are inside my bedroom. But I'm afraid yesterday's met with an unfortunate accident." Severus sneered. "Fight with the fireplace. Guess who won." Then he went back to reading.

"Oh. Okay. Well thanks for trying to protect me but…I need to know what's going on if I'm to equip myself. So I'll just have to talk to Minerva, yes? Her paper collection is even older than yours." Harry smiled wryly before pushing away from the table. "Do excuse me."

"Harry!" Severus snapped. "You do not want to read that load of…preposterous insinuations." He amended with a pause.

"Tell me or I'll go read it." Harry shrugged into his robes and straightened himself heading for the chamber exit.

"I cannot repeat…it's truly the most ridiculous…I mean when you were back at school and there was that whole rumor thing at least it had a miniscule drop of truth. Albus was slightly crazy and you were an attention seeker, intentional or not."

Harry almost cracked a real smile. "I still have to know."

"Do not…please." Harry cringed at the lowly muttered word. It had to be really bad.

"Sorry." Then he opened the door and was gone.

After finding Minerva and spending fifteen minutes sipping tea and making small talk about himself, along with her apologies about Draco which he flinched at, he snuck away to the Room of Requirements with the paper she had lent.

Then he realized why Severus hadn't wanted him to read it. It was trash, pure trash, but they had managed to make it seem like he was the…worst, most immoral piece of crap…in the universe.

Harry bit his lip, eyes scanning the article repeatedly, vision fuzzy. Draco's side of the argument was mostly there, seemingly straight from the source and lightly embellished. Harry's replies weren't there…except for his one outburst.

_As Mr. Malfoy was seen leaving the horrible scene the examination had started, Harry Potter was heard screaming after him, "---- you Malfoy! I don't ----ing need you!"_

_Mr. Malfoy makes assumptions that Potter's statement was true as he'd already served his 'purpose'._

"_He's got himself knocked up, with what I assume is my child. I don't even know if I hope so or not. So I served my purpose, he **doesn't** need me anymore." He says with a bitter smile. "But at least only half of his ingenious plan came through. His attempts to get me married to him have failed, his way to worm himself properly into the wizarding world is destroyed and through my testament it won't happen again to any proper pure blood."_

_Our reporter asked what Mr. Malfoy why he thought this and he clarified._

"_Harry…Mr. Potter, knew through our long relationship that I was not prepared for marriage or fatherhood yet. We had planned to put this off for almost six years more. But he couldn't wait. Lately he's been badgering me…let's not get into the details. It gets nasty. So we were to be Bonded. And then his plan fell through. He couldn't hide his condition from me anymore and I found out before we were married."_

_Mr. Malfoy stated his deep regrets for what had become of their relationship but said, "Harry's manipulations have hurt me but…it's not for me I fear. It's for the child he carries. That is supposed to be the Malfoy heir. I have no idea what he will use him for now."_

_The baby was confirmed to be a boy, about two months old, by Mr. Malfoy's calculations, before their Promise time. This is why he wonders on Mr. Potter keeping the conception from him and the baby's paternity. And why Mr. Potter's belongings were forcibly exited from his residence and their Engagement ended._

_Efforts to contact Mr. Potter were rebuffed but we did manage to get a description of Mr. Potter's personality from his former teachers and current caretakers at Hogwarts._

"_Oh, 'arry's determined! When 'e wants sum'nat he's gonna get it." The gamekeeper and Care of Magical Creatures teacher, and half-giant, Rubeus Hagrid says with a proud smile. We wonder how far he would go?_

_Minerva McGonagall, his former Head of House said, "Harry was stubborn and determined to get what he wanted but he would never do anything underhanded." For someone who has shown Slytherin tendencies and has **murdered**, want does he consider underhanded?_

_Albus Dumbledore gave the final statement, which was rather cryptic but we leave you to make what you will. "Harry is Harry. And nothing is as it seems."_

_Do this mean Harry is not as innocent as we thought? Perhaps Mr. Malfoy was right? Maybe a side of Harry Potter is being revealed that we never knew. This Daily Prophet reporter wonders._

_By Jumai Hyunie-Veagan_

Daily Prophet

Harry threw down the paper with a choked gasp. This was fifth year all over again. Only, it was he and he alone facing the firing squad this time. Could anyone…anyone really believe this of him?

Amazing how they only managed to get his one negative outburst though. He laughed bitterly, gasping for air. Oh Gods! _Draco_. How could Draco do this? He was making Harry seem like…like, a gold-digging slut that got himself knocked up to worm into _high society_. He started to cry raggedly. He had enough money, why would he want to…Harry rubbed his temples desperately, face wet. Fuck, it wasn't bad enough they made it seem like he was using the baby for something…they speculate on whether it is even Draco's at all! That reporter was making him out to be a slut and Draco was bloody helping them with his little dropped implications.

This _trash_ was something he'd expect Skeeter to write! Implying that he was a murderer when all he did was what the whole wizarding world had wanted him to! Gods, could it get any more ridiculous than that?

And tricking his friends, people who were like family to him into implicating him with an open question. Poor Hagrid had probably thought it was some promotion on him…Harry sniffled despondently and then paused after cleaning his face.

But they hadn't tried to reach him had they? They said that they did but they hadn't! He'd been the Hospital Wing all the time and no one came to see him from the Prophet!

He hiccuped helplessly and stomped out with the paper clutched in hand, cutting his way through moving students like a knife until he was back in the dungeons. He didn't even hear the whispers and comments behind him as he passed, so intent on making his way back to speak to Severus and keeping his vision clear of tears, but it was probably best he didn't.

"_Veri Tascum_." Harry spat at the portrait. He would get a wizarding solicitor. He didn't have to read these people slandering him with their bloody lies to boot!

"You're the _nice_ young man staying with Severus?" The wizened lady in the portrait looked down her nose at him. Harry gave her a glance over, noting her imposing but aristocratic air and propriety before muttering again.

"I'm not in the mood. I'm really…_not…_in the mood. Open up or I'll hex you. I don't _need_ a bloody wand."

"Hmpt!" The portrait door swung open with a groan and Harry fled inside as Severus, or should he say 'Snape' came out of his bedroom.

"Had fun disregarding my advice Potter? Come back for cuddles?" The dark man sneered, as he came to a stop, robes settling around him and Harry frowned back. "I told you not to read the bloody thing but do you ever listen to me?"

"No. So anyway, they lied in the paper. They say they came to see me but I rebuffed them and that's not true. So I wanted to know if it's possible that I get a wizarding solicitor and sue for detriment to my character." Harry said, dropping the paper on the kitchen table disgustedly. "I see why you didn't want me to read but I had to know." Harry apologized in his own way as Severus stepped up to him.

A large hand lifted and Harry froze in expectation but it just gestured vaguely to his face. "You could have spared yourself more self-pity I see, if you'd just listened to me."

Harry quirked a sad smile. "My own personal savior. Yes, you're definitely liking being the hero now."

Severus sighed, dropping his hand and stepping away. "You can't sue them because what they said is true. They did come to try to talk to you but they met with some…resistance, in the Hospital Wing. Hence why they went to talk to others."

"Madam Pomfrey?" Harry pondered.

"Just resistance." Severus scowled and crossed his arms.

Ah. Yes. That would make any fledgling Daily Prophet reporter turn tail and run.

"Thank you. I think. But now they've gone and…"

"If you'd talked to that vermin it would have been worse. Trust me. He and Draco must have had a grand time making a mockery of you and your relationship with Draco."

He cringed, squeezing his eyes shut. "Please…he's your godson. You can't be that angry with him just because of me. If it's a problem with what Remus did, the two of you deal with that…but don't, don't say that about Draco to me. I…I mean, I know what he did is bad but…I'm still going to try to…make good on this situation somehow. For my…my child." Harry finished in a whisper.

There was an angry pause and when he opened his eyes Severus was glowering at him.

"Look here Potter. I've dealt with any…issues I may have had with Draco and Remus. I'm sure Draco looked quite _splendid_ on his interview, which is probably why a picture of him is not in the paper. _Listen_ Harry," He lowered his voice urgently. "He did this. It's all him. None of this is your fault. Don't make excuses for him. I do not. I'm disgusted with him and yes I am as angry with him as you think, with or without you in the picture. He is…showing himself to be a _true_ Malfoy if he will put his child in the same position he claimed he wanted no child of his in. _Your_ child deserves better so spare yourself drama and strife…forget Draco." Severus' hands clenched his shoulders firmly.

"I can't! I can't…you know it's not that easy to just…you know!" Harry whispered, eyes welling as he looked up at Severus. "Remus told me you loved someone else…and you couldn't forget them could you?" Harry smiled in sad triumph as the hands moved as if burned. "See? You love them and it's not…you can't just forget someone you love. No matter what."

Severus' face had closed up. "As you wish. It's your life." His melodic voice was flat. "I have a class to get to. Amuse yourself without touching anything of mine and call a house elf if you need anything." Then he was gone in a flurry of robes and the chamber portrait was slamming shut.

Harry sighed to the empty room. "And I'm sorry about using that against you…"

* * *

A/N: yawns...errr...what the hell?Realizes just before she presses save changes that this is the wrong bloody chapter to post! 

REAL A/N: Lol. That happened when I was positing "chapter two" only I had put in all of this instead of the two you actually have. It would have majorly spoiled the story huh?

Anyway moving on, You guys are so great. Especially Original Intent. Wow. I really loved that review. Thank you. I'm glad you all felt whatI wanted you to, because I have tried with fics before to make readers _feel _and for some reason in the past I've flopped. Or reached few. Warning now, this whole fic is a roller coaster and a new surprise is always around the corner...so when you think it's done...lol, don't. Thanks for all the positive vibes peeps. And as for the person who said they were 'going to be sick' I assume that was a good thing, well, to me anyway, -I touched you that much?- and give a bottle of anti-nausea. #grins#

Btw, an issue that needs to be addressed. People,I know my stories are really compelling, well-writtenand believable but NO, I've never been raped- for that person from Oblivion-, no I'm not a sex kitten - I know you're thinking it!-, no I've never tried out the kama sutra or whatever the bloody book is called-though a friend of mine, male, has, he said it was pretty sore...afterwards-and NO! I've never seen two gays guys having sex!-kissing, perhaps-NOW PLZ! Stop reviewing asking me these things or I'll hafta spank you!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise. All HP characters and places belong to JK Rowling.

Chpts 5?

**Days Like These**

Harry knew when Severus returned that afternoon that it'd been a rough day. For his students that is. He still seemed to be in a horrible mood from what Harry had said that morning and Harry found it awkward to stay in the living room while he was there so sequestered himself in his bedroom. He'd been reading a Defense book he'd found off Severus' bookshelf for about two hours before the man finally knocked on his door.

"Come in." Harry cringed and put down the book reluctantly.

Severus opened the door and looked at him flatly from the doorway. "It's time to go up for supper."

"Umm, I'm not hungry. Or…I'll get something to eat here rather. I…I'm not ready to go up."

"You can't hide away." Harry flinched at the sneer on Severus' face. "Fine. Lock yourself away like it doesn't matter. Replace my book when you're done."

"Severus!" Harry got off the bed, hurt, and followed him out. "I'm sorry I…told you what Remus told me…I mean, that I used it against you. I had no right to…bring that up. Since it's something private and personal to you. I was just trying to get you to understand…" Harry pleaded.

Severus kept his back to him and snapped his fingers sharply. When a house elf appeared he pointed to Harry and headed to the door.

"You know what Potter, maybe you're right. It's not easy. But you've got to forget them eventually. Because some people are just beyond help."

Harry, the elf and the portrait picture shuddered as the chamber door slammed. He sighed deeply.

"Can I just have a sandwich? Grilled cheese please."

* * *

The days went pretty regimentally after that. In the morning he'd sit across from Severus at breakfast and be ignored or spoken to curtly, he'd get an elf in for lunch while the Potions Master stayed away. And he'd stay in the chambers for dinner while the man swooped out, not even bothering to ask him to join anymore. And weekends Severus shut himself in his workroom for hours.

About two weeks had passed then, it was now the beginning of May, and Harry found he'd eventually have to leave the chambers because he had to go to Madam Pomfrey. He was about three months along now and needed to go and check up with her. He wasn't really afraid for the baby…nothing was wrong he could tell…but he didn't want to leave. He didn't want to go out there…

Harry found himself fidgeting at the breakfast table today. It was a Saturday and what with the kids out doing as they would…the day was either today or tomorrow. He cleared his throat and was ignored before he finally sighed and took a breath.

"I need to go out…to Madam Pomfrey today." Severus looked up from his paper blankly. "So she can check…me, you know, and the baby."

"And?"

Harry flushed embarrassed. "Could you come with me please?" He whispered. He waited, nervously biting his lip as the black eyes swept over him. Finally the man scowled.

"Fine."

Harry smiled weakly before getting to his feet. "Thank you. I'll go get ready."

"I assure you Potter I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this for your child since you can't be bothered to go out on your own and start helping _yourself_." Severus replied sharply and turned back to his paper.

Harry sighed heavily and hurried on into his bedroom before slamming the door. He deserved that didn't he? Hiding away in these chambers everyday…but Gods it hurt hearing it that way. He swiped at his eyes disgusted with himself and shook his head. Severus never lied to him. He never put icing on the cold hard truth.

He cleaned himself up shortly and changed his clothes before making his way back out, head up proudly.

"If you don't want to come you don't have to. I shouldn't have asked you to take time out of your day just to walk me to the hospital wing. You're free to come if you want to hear about the baby though." Harry said quietly before clasping his robes.

"Have you at least pulled yourself together then?" Severus deadpanned from where he was waiting in an armchair. At Harry's nod he stood. "I'll come."

Harry nodded, gratefully heading to the door. They exited the chambers with Severus locking up before beginning the long walk to the hospital wing. A few Slytherins saw them leaving the dungeons and two Ravenclaws walking together on the third floor but none seemed to take notice and Harry resisted flinching as he passed. He felt rewarded as Severus touched his arm reassuringly before he entered the hospital wing.

"Ah. Mister Potter. I thought I'd have to get Severus to cart you up here." Madam Pomfrey hustled him to a bed. "Relax and let me get ready. Severus you can just…sit somewhere nearby and twiddle your thumbs."

Harry smiled nervously at Severus and at the two kids in the room, one that seemed to be an overnighter and another who was passing through. "I hope everything's okay."

"Everything should be. You're a very healthy person and you've been eating properly right? You did see a nutritionist?"

"Actually I never did get to." Harry whispered awkwardly. "That was the day…umm, me and Draco had the fight at the hospital…"

Madam Pomfrey towered over him vengefully. "Well! Mr. Potter this isn't about Mr. Malfoy anymore! You have a child to take care of! You can't be slacking off on his care…"

"I know." Harry flicked a look at Severus. "I'm sorry. It's just been hard coming out."

"Well you can't hide forever." Madam Pomfrey came back with her wands and a few potion vials.

"I know now." Harry nodded assuredly at her.

"Good. Well let's just check on the little one then." Harry shivered as the medi-witch's wand ran over his stomach then gasped as a small magical reading came out in midair above his stomach along with a tiny fuzzy picture. "Hmm, good…good. A bit more calcium perhaps. And as I suspected. You do need to up your iron intake."

"Okay." Harry whispered looking at the picture. "Is that him?" The other two occupants of the room, long forgotten edged forward for a peek.

"Hmm? Yes…he's already got a face. Funny scrunched up little thing." Madam Pomfrey teased fondly. "I bet he'll be a cutie just like you."

Harry flushed and choked out a laugh. "I haven't been a cutie since I was seventeen Madam Pomfrey." He looked at Severus though. "Isn't he sweet though?"

"Adorable, Potter." Severus said flatly, but was still eyeing the picture critically.

"He'll look just like…" Harry paused and swallowed heavily.

"Draco. Say it and get over it. He may look like Draco but he's _your_ son." Severus said quietly leaning back in his chair.

"Excuse me…" The flushing boy in the bed across from his came closer. He seemed to have chicken pox if the smell from the cream all over him was any indication. "Is that your baby?"

"Yeah." Harry smiled weakly.

"You're Harry Potter?" The boy quailed under a glare from Severus. "I'm…I only asked 'cuz…I don't believe what they wrote. Some people are just stupid…I know you saved us all from Voldemort and that everyone owes their lives to you! So don't let it get to you. And cute kid." The boy backed away hurriedly and scrambled back into his bed before turning his back. The other boy got what he'd wanted from the wing and left hurriedly too.

"Thank you." Harry said loudly smiling at the picture.

"Are we done here?"

"Yes." Madam Pomfrey vanished the magical readout and picture and smiled at Harry. "You can go now. Take care of yourself and get back here next month. If I dare see you before then with anything wrong with you…"

"Promise I won't see you 'til next month." Harry laughed. Severus helped him up shortly before guiding him to the door. "Bye."

"Bye dear."

As soon as they were out the door Severus turned to him sharply. "Okay Potter, I…"

"Harry."

Severus ground his teeth. "_Harry_. I think you should do a rebuttal to the article that was in the newspaper."

"Hasn't it…died down yet? Do people still think I'm…"

"I think you should set the story straight. The boy was the exception Harry. Not the rule."

Harry frowned. "So…I should do an interview?"

"Yes. And I know just who to get…Will you do it?" Severus glared at a girl staring at them as he helped Harry down a flight of stairs.

"I…I guess. Do you think I should really…?"

"Yes!" Severus hissed sharply.

"Okay. When?" Harry asked softly, letting himself be guided through a short cut down to the dungeons, he knew it of course.

"As soon as possible. People think you've been hiding out and you need to dissuade that idea."

"I don't think I can…" Harry whispered back urgently. "I'm not ready…I know I told you I was going to try! And I am but…don't try to get everything all at once Severus. I'm only human and I…I'm still hoping…"

The Potions Master simply growled and continued shunting Harry down the spiral staircase angrily. Harry stumbled finally at the bottom and was manhandled up and out.

"Severus! Please! I know you're not happy with my choices but stop…stop treating me like…shit!" Harry finally cried squeezing his eyes shut. "You're acting like…" He finished in a whisper.

"I'm trying to do this for your own good! If I can't talk to you as a friend I'll talk to you as an elder to get you to understand what I'm telling you Potter! Do you comprehend yet! Draco is not worth it! Not worth what you're putting yourself through!"

"How can you say that!" Harry cried, eyes welling. "I know…I know better than you what he did but I can't just give up on the good years we had just like that! He's treated me like dirt, he's…told horrible lies about me, he's _cheated_ on me…" Harry's voice broke as he sobbed. "_But I can't give up yet_! Our child…"

Harry gasped as he was pulled into their chambers and the door slammed behind Severus before the dark man turned to him.

"Your child Harry. _Yours_." Severus leaned into his face and sneered. "Draco sent you a letter. I intercepted it." He held up his hand as Harry opened his mouth, watery eyes narrowed angrily. "Read it. Decide if you've given up yet. Decide if you can talk to the reporter. Then get back to me. Maybe then you'll understand why I keep telling you to forget him." Severus took out his wand and with a flick had a piece of parchment summoned from in his bedroom and he handed it to Harry wordlessly. He gave Harry one last hard look before he turned away. "I don't know why I try."

Harry stared after him breathing raggedly and sat wiping tears from his cheek. Severus had no right! What if Draco had been expecting an answer back! His breath hitched hopefully. Maybe Draco wanted him back? They could try…maybe they could try…he still didn't understand why Draco was so against their child, as he couldn't really believe Draco doubted his fidelity.

Then he read. He started to shake uncontrollably as silent tears rolled down his cheeks. He couldn't be serious…he couldn't…be…

"Dammit! Bloody, stupid, idiot boy!" Harry started as the letter was torn from his hands.

"No! I want to read the rest! I want…!"

"Ignito!" Severus burned the letter even as it flew across the room to him and the ashes scattered on the carpet between them. "There. I should have never let you read that crap. Circe! You make me so…"

"YOU CAN'T RULE MY HEART! AND YOU HAD NO…_RIGHT_…NO RIGHT AT ALL TO…!" Harry gasped desperately for air, suddenly realizing he felt short.

"Sit down and shut up!" Harry let himself be steered and pushed into the most cushy chair in the room and sank in.

"N-no…" Harry clutched his chest and drew a rattling breath. Severus had disappeared after pushing him into the chair and reappeared then with a vial of Calming Potion.

"There's no way I'm taking you back up to Pomfrey today Potter. Drink the damned potion."

He did reluctantly and gasped in a clear breath as the solution took effect. Severus banished the vial back and stared down impassively at him.

"Are you okay?" He sat down stiffly next to Harry and patted his back lightly.

"No. No, not really." Harry let out a weak, tired laugh. There was a pause as Severus knew he didn't mean that little faint spell.

"Don't think about it now. I should not have pushed it with you…as you are."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry too Severus." Harry turned to him, eyes red and head down in defeat as he murmured. "I know you just do it to protect me. Face it now…rather than later, ya know…?But…I…can't…"

"Be quiet, stupid boy." A long fingered hand stroked through his hair hesitantly and Harry sighed leaning into Severus' shoulder.

"Can you get that reporter this evening?" Harry whispered, muffled.

"Yes I can." Severus returned to patting his back gently before helping him up. "Rest before lunch."

"Okay." Harry muttered compliantly. Severus paused to summon another vial before helping him to his bedroom. The calming dark blue and greens of the room immediately went to work on him and as Severus pushed him into bed under the coverlet he was already reaching for the other vial.

"Don't get addicted."

Harry swallowed with a grimace and handed back the vial. "Not bloody likely." He scratched out hoarsely. Then he stared up at Severus. "Did you really…hit him?"

Severus' face darkened. "Yes I did. He said pretty much the same as in that letter when I talked to him after you'd been Stunned by myself. But never mind that. Sleep."

Harry smiled sleepily. "My savior…" Severus blinked down in surprise as the green eyes shut and Harry's breathing deepened.

He had to be careful…so very careful.

* * *

Five hours later Harry was woken up from a calm nap by Severus telling him to come for a late lunch.

"Now is also a good time for your nutrient potion. To go down with some food."

Harry followed the man back out of his bedroom with a blush and finally worked up the courage to speak as he was fidgeting in his chair to be served.

"Severus? Umm, thanks for…earlier. I'm sorry I was, yelling at you and all…" He looked away embarrassed.

"I overstepped my boundaries myself. I also apologize. You are right. I have no control over your heart. But I just want to open your eyes."

"They're open." Harry whispered, taking the nutrient vial and placing it on the table as the house elf brought in thin, chicken soup, bread and some sort of meaty broth.

They ate silently for half-hour before Harry pushed away his bowl.

"Is the reporter coming?"

Severus swallowed suddenly. "Yes. Harry I must warn you. You don't trust this woman as far as you could throw her but she has changed…sort of. She's been doing a lot of public relations stories…the ones people like, to build back up her fan base. That's how I got her to do your story…"

"No…" Harry howled. "It's Skeeter isn't it?"

"Not the same woman I promise you. If I thought there was danger of more detriment to your character I wouldn't ask her to do this."

"There was no one else?"

"Not like her. I didn't want a rookie either. Safer perhaps but they don't…squeeze emotion from rocks. That's something Skeeter can do…just, it was always a bad one."

"If you say so…"

"I do. Don't dwell on it though. You have a few hours until dinner when I leave. Do you want to talk? Or do something?" Severus asked awkwardly, making Harry laugh.

"If I said yes you'd have a heart attack so no." Harry smiled widely though.

"Good." Severus pointed to his vial. "Now drink up."

* * *

"Wait Severus!" He turned as Harry hurried out of his room, dressed in a nice set of robes. "I'm coming up with you."

Severus felt his eyes narrow as Potter stopped next to him and straightened his robe frenetically. "Are you sure you're up to it?"

"Yes. I can't hide anymore." The ruffled, dark-haired head lowered. "I was ashamed of myself. I still am. But now because I was…am, even now, still hoping. I can't turn my heart off." Harry sighed heavily. "But I can't just live in a room and wait for Draco."

It was progress right? Severus opened the portrait hole and gestured out. "I should enter the Hall first though. I'll make a seat for you. You'll know by the buzz of the nosy little children when it's time to come in."

Severus noticed that Harry was smiling slightly as he walked next to him up to the first floor. Along the way the dungeon corridors were already empty and the chatter could be heard. When they drew outside the door Severus turned to him and waited.

"I'm sure."

Severus opened the doors and swept up between two tables calmly. He didn't usually enter from here but if Harry had to walk that way so would he. He came next to his seat at the Head Table and withdrew his wand.

"Severus my dear boy? What's…" Professor Dumbledore paused as the Potions Master conjured another chair.

"We will be having company."

"Is it…?" Professor McGonagall started but was interrupted by the Great Hall doors opening again. Severus watched with a heavy heart as a shadow of Harry Potter walked hesitantly between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff table, up the middle to the Head table, rather like a skittish animal. The students stayed mercifully quiet, Severus pondered leaving them in positive points towards the end of the year and withdrew Harry's chair before sitting in his.

"Thanks." Harry whispered. He looked up the line of teachers at the table and smiled shakily. "Hi."

The children started back their chatter in low tones, making him glare. If he heard one whisper of the name Potter coming from out there…

"Severus it's okay." He blinked down and then at the man next to him as Potter's hand left his arm. "The kids are curious. And I understand why they're talking about me…I just have to set them right."

"Harry, we're so happy to see you up and about again." Professor Sprout said happily.

"'ah was wundering if you'd keep 'urself locked up in the dungeons 'arry." Hagrid leaned over Professor Sinastra and hissed up the table loudly, making Harry blush.

"I'm…I'm quite fine Hagrid."

"Welcome back Mister Potter." Professor McGonagall said lowly with a small smile.

"He's not quite back yet but he's coming." Harry whispered back with an answering smile.

"Why don't we let Harry eat dinner and we can talk after?" Professor Dumbledore smiled out at the children who looked away suddenly to their food.

Severus ate and watched out of the corner of his eyes as Potter ate, painstakingly picking and choosing. He knew he'd only had that late lunch a few hours ago and in his condition could only stomach small amounts of certain things but he figured that wasn't the problem. It was all the eyes on him. He himself glared around but as soon as his eyes left one table they were looking back at Harry again. Harry himself finally met some eyes square on and most looked away, but some kept staring.

Whispers of conversation began to float up to the table and he noticed Harry paled drastically as someone from the top of Gryffindor table, from the older years, started talking about the article in the paper. They stirred up the table until they were arguing loudly about it…along with the other tables in the Hall except the Ravenclaws, who were probably forming private opinions.

"I…I'm not hungry." Harry wobbled up from his seat and Severus placed his fork down, done.

"Let's go back. She should be here in a few minutes." Severus guided Harry out the side door he usually used and shot a glare back at the children. Oh, Gryffindor would be losing a lot of points tomorrow. More than usual anyway.

* * *

"Are you sure she'll only write what I say?" Harry fidgeted nervously on the couch.

"She won't be using the Dicta-Quill. As I find hers to write most…incorrectly." Severus said caustically.

Harry nodded flicking at his nails as Severus sat in the armchair next to the sofa he was on.

"Do not worry. Try to relax, you're wound up tighter than a spring."

Harry shot Severus a grateful smile before jumping as the fireplace roared to flame and Rita Skeeter stumbled out, looking disoriented.

Harry looked her over, noting she looked much better than the last time he'd seen her in fifth year. She'd look like she was heading for destitution then but she was obviously making a comeback. And had gained fashion sense somewhere too.

"Ah. Harry. Darling, you've grown." She put a hand to her flora-red covered chest and looked him up and down.

"Ms. Skeeter." Severus said with a brittle smile, gesturing to a chair. "Have a seat."

She took off her cloak and put it over her arm before perching carefully on the edge of her chair. "I was so happy to hear you wanted to do your rebuttal interview to Mr. Malfoy's with me…"

"It wasn't my choice I assure you." Harry muttered petulantly. He cowered under Severus' quick glare though and straightened in his seat to address the reporter properly. "Since you know why you're here can we just start? And Severus is staying…to make sure you write what I say."

Hours later after Harry had told Rita the whole story, the true story, she stared gaping in shock, before shaking her head and scribbling madly. She could smell a killer article a mile away and this was…serial.

By now Harry also found he felt sick and tired, with stinging eyes and he looked to Severus beseechingly.

"The interview is done Ms. Skeeter." Severus stood imposingly. "It was ah, a…pleasure to have you." He guided her to the fireplace and offered her his pot, waiting impatiently as she juggled her quill and parchment and tried to put on her coat.

"The paper will have this day after tomorrow. This is too brilliant to try to rush out tonight. Tell Mr. Potter thank you…" Harry stared pathetically as she was shunted into the fire and left in a whirl while Severus sneered at the fire.

"Finally. Does she not get hints such as yawning and glaring?"

Harry cracked a small smile. "Not when there's a story around." He yawned and rubbed his eyes. "I think I'm off to bed. I don't feel too good…"

"Are you well enough…?" Severus started coming over to his side but Harry waved him away.

"I can make it. Thanks for making me do this. I think…people should make their own opinions from the truth." Harry sighed, pushing out of his chair. "Goodnight Severus."

"Goodnight Harry."

* * *

A/N: Keep enjoying peoples! Love the reviews. And no it ain't mean for wishing the kid would die...I know you want pure Snarry love but...sighs it's just meant to be tainted in this one.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise. All HP characters and places belong to JK Rowling.

Chpts 6?

**Days Like These**

The sound of retching was a horrible sound to wake to.

Severus flinched as he climbed out of bed and stretched before heading to the bathroom again.

"Good…morning." Harry scratched out hoarsely from his spot worshipping the toilet. Severus shook his head and got the small cloth by the sink wet with cool water before kneeling next to him.

"Bad morning?"

"Yesterday was about the same. I think I'm nervous about seeing the article. I wonder what she wrote from what I said…" Harry whispered, shuddering. Severus placed the cloth to Harry's sweat-filmed forehead and used the other hand to rub his back soothingly.

"Don't worry. The paper will arrive soon. It will come straight here from the owl." He crooned soothingly. "It'll be okay."

Harry choked out a laugh before heaving again violently. Severus wiped his hair back and kept rubbing, before waiting until he lifted his head again to wipe his mouth. Then he banished the cloth.

"Come. Enough of this…a little anti-nausea won't hurt this morning. You can see there's nothing to worry about and then you won't need to vomit."

After he'd made the man swallow half a vial of the potion the newspaper arrived and he shook it out as he sat Harry on the sofa and paced reading it aloud.

_**The Bitter Truth**_

_Subsequent to the last article written by a Daily Prophet reporter, Jumai Hyunie-Veagan, the Daily Prophet have taken it upon themselves to find out the truth regarding the end of our hero's relationship with the prestigious Mr. Draco Malfoy. Rita Skeeter, special correspondence, has written many unsavory articles about the Boy-Who-Lived, and has since learned to regret her harsh words about the lonesome hero. Ms. Skeeter was asked to be the one to interview Mister Potter and in hope of redeeming herself, Ms Skeeter is shamed to announce that she dug a little further into the life of the boy, now man, we have all loved, and hated. _

_A trip to Gringotts was very nearly a waste of time, as the Goblins refuse to give even the slightest bit of information about client's accounts. But, just before Ms. Skeeter left disgruntled, she was informed that the Potter family vaults, to which Harry Potter is the lone heir, is much greater than that of the Malfoys. Jumai was quick and foolish to insinuate that our hero would stoop so low as to marry Mr. Malfoy for his money, and this reporter has just proven him wrong. _

_After she took this trip however she was invited the same evening to speak to Mr. Potter at his new residence of Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. _

_Throughout the seven year relationship, Mr. Potter has wanted to settle down and have kids, but Mr. Malfoy has, understandably, asked for more time. They have remained together, marginally happy, all of these years at the mansion. They had indeed decided to wait until Mr. Potter was promoted to Head Auror before they settled down, but Mr. Potter felt ill-satisfied. _

"_My work was dangerous," says Mr. Potter. "Always, there were curses coming at me that could harm the chance I'd always had of wanting a family to call my own. The last mission I went on, one of the suspects fired and very nearly hit me with the Infelix curse. Needless to say, I panicked. I was scared that I would never get the family I desired. Soon after, I was able to convince Draco to let me quit my job there, for not once in the seven years I have worked there have I enjoyed it. It was expected of me, and that is the only reason I took the job." _

"_Yes, I pushed then, because I was terrified. Draco too, eventually admitted that he was scared. He was scared that he and I would fall out of love like his parents once married. I reassured him and after receiving advice from a friend, Draco asked me to promise with him. I was ecstatic." _

"_Draco always demanded that we used contraceptive charms when we made love, and I agreed with him always. Yet there were times when the passions stirred and that was the last thing from our mind, times when impatience ran high through both of us. This child now is a result of that, not a result of any treachery or manipulation, no matter what you wish to believe. But he's not a mistake and I'm happy to be carrying him." _

"_That night after the visit to St. Mungo's," continued Mr. Potter after much coaxing from Professor Snape whose company he is in at the school. This reporter would just like to point out here that St Mungo's are very lucky that Mr. Potter does not wish to sue them from breaking the patient confidentiality contract. "After we found out that I was pregnant, we did argue and Draco accused me of terrible things. Terrible lies. We departed separate ways and I spent the night sleeping in the Floo room of the manor, waiting for him to return. He did not." _

"_The next morning, I went with a friend to see Remus Lupin, who was like an uncle to me, who was also a werewolf. I went in the company of Severus, that is, Professor Snape here who was making Remus' Wolfbane for him. I found Remus – and I found Draco, sharing the same bed after what was obviously an awkward night. Draco slept with my uncle, and has the audacity to accuse me of being a slut when I have slept with no other but him since our relationship began." Here Mister Potter stops to collect himself and gather a breath. _

"_When Draco kicked me out I ran here. I came to Hogwarts that has always been a home to me to be among friends. And since I've been here, a correspondence has come from Draco. I did not receive it until today due to intervening circumstances but as I now have seen and read it I have but just this now to say to Draco Malfoy. You can take your offer and shove it where your broomstick is Draco, I would rather **die** than terminate my baby to be with you. If that's your ultimatum you can shove it. There, Ms. Skeeter, you know the truth and now leave me be. I wish Draco, I hope the black eyes scarred and Remus, stop sending me letters unless you want to give me a lifetime supply of fire fodder, all the best, for I wish to see and speak to neither again." _

_With that said, Mr. Potter left the room and this reporter headed to Grimmauld Place to see if what he said was true. Indeed, when I got there, I was just in time to see Mr. Malfoy smirking over a newspaper, while Mr. Lupin argued that it was not right to lie about someone who has done so much for the world in general. I was then subject to view a rather passionate kiss as Mr. Malfoy sought to quiet the werewolf._

_We have called our savoir a murderer, a slut and a manipulator when all he truly is, is a young man with a broken heart and a child on the way. He has killed for us, but I have no doubt that if another Dark Lord came along, he would leave us all to it. It would be what we all deserved. _

_For now, I wish Mr. Potter all the luck in the future, I hope that his child grows loved and safe from harm, and I hope Mr. Potter can find a love that will return his feelings and remain faithful. After all he's done for us it's not too much to deserve._

_Rita Skeeter_

Daily Prophet

Harry sat back in the chair limply as Severus came to a halt.

"Well. She certainly did her work…" He ruffled the paper scanning the article again.

"She went _prying_ again! Severus!" He looked down into the wide angry green eyes.

"Yes? I know she invaded your privacy Harry. I'm sorry. But she's simply proved what I suspected." The Potions Master paused carefully as he perched next to Harry. "Her prying was best too. As she also settled questions that would not have been touched in your testimony."

Harry frowned, disturbed, at the carpet.

"Are you angry?"

"Well…my personal life has been exposed for all to see. My personal information is out for all to know. My life is in the English channel of all ruts…I'm not angry. Just tired. So tired of all of this."

"I ask you one more time. Put Draco from your mind. Put all that happened with him from your mind. Focus on your child and try to start over. That's all you can do now. If you look back you'll never make it forward."

"I'll try Severus. I'll certainly try."

* * *

Harry went to the Great Hall for meals as he had the day before, though knowing the reception would not be as quiet. His friends and family were there…everything would be fine.

But he was surprised to find a few more friends and family there than he'd expected.

"Oh Gods." Severus muttered from next to him, dropping his knife.

"What?" Harry whispered from next to him, eyes glued on Gryffindor table. One of its occupants had the newspaper in his hands and Harry was worried there'd be another uproar at dinner.

"Look up."

Harry's eyes turned to Severus in confusion before he looked to the Great Hall doors to see a guilty looking Ron and sad-faced Hermione there with their three kids.

"Oh my God." Harry stood shakily, eyes already clouding and tripped out of his seat and round the table to run to his friends.

"Oh Harry we're so sorry." Hermione cried muffled into his shoulder as he hugged her gently. She had her and Ron's newest child in her arms. He smiled at her with tear-fogged eyes as he leaned back.

"What are you apologizing for?" He let go of her with a laugh. "I haven't seen you guys in so long. Gods, how's America been?" Harry made a face at the little girls peeking at him from behind Hermione's legs.

"Good. Not as good as home but good." Ron answered and then sort of twisted his face, looking at Harry. "You haven't been by the Burrow recently."

Harry bit his lip and looked around, it occurring to him the middle of the Great Hall wasn't the best place for catching up. "I want to talk but not here. Are you guys staying for dinner though?"

"The Headmaster asked us to visit actually. I got some time off and Hermione's still on leave so…we're here for a few days."

"That's great! Come and join us then…we can talk after."

Harry led them back up to the Head Table with a wide smile, wiping a stray tear. "Sit here with me." He conjured four chairs and jokingly conjured a high chair next to Hermione's.

She smiled and strapped in the little boy while the girls wriggled onto their chairs and stared out at the Hall with Ron on the end of the table now. Harry took his seat next to her and peered down the table.

"God, I can't believe you're really here. I've missed you guys so much."

"We've missed you too. But we'll talk about that after Harry, we have a lot to talk about." Hermione's tone was serious and Harry sighed as he turned back to his food.

"Still whipped Potter?" A silky voice whispered next to him.

"Oh shut up." Harry retorted back.

"The Golden Trio is back together then?" Severus said for the table's benefit and Harry wriggled as Ron and Hermione turned eyes on him before turning them to the man next to him.

"Professor." Ron then turned to cutting his little girl's meat for her while Hermione leaned slightly over Harry.

"Professor Snape. It's nice to see you again. You look…well." He actually did look better than how he'd looked at school though Harry would have to say he'd never noticed before, he'd not seen Severus that much between the end of school and now. But he'd got his teeth fixed come to think of it and his hair was clean more often when he wasn't working on potions.

Harry snorted though as Severus glared at her. "I'd say the same but I'd be lying, you look haggard. Surely now the Gryffindors will get into their heads to celebrate the Famous Trio's return by being as unruly as they can while you're here. And it's not funny Potter!"

Harry bit his lip and forced away the threatening grin as Severus fumed next to him.

"Don't mind him Hermione. He's just being Snape-ish. I bet he is…well, maybe not happy, perhaps hmm, not hopeful either…relieved? Hmm, that's the best. He's relieved to see you, hoping you'll talk some sense into me about…well, you know who." Harry tilted his head.

"And I will. After dinner." Hermione turned to look at the professor. "Are you…friends then?"

"I do not…"

"Yes we are. Severus has been kind enough to let me stay with him while I'm here and has been very helpful." Harry turned a grin on the man who 'hmph'ed' and turned to his food.

"That's nice." She turned her eyes from the Potions Master to Harry. "And how have you been eating?"

In between times picking at his food Harry answered Hermione's questions, her grilling really, about how he was feeding himself to support the baby _and_ gain some weight. He put down his fork and listened to her barrage on eating more, watching with wide eyes as she turned on Severus who merely raised his eyebrows. After she tired herself out lecturing Severus, he finally spoke.

"Mrs. Weasley." He cringed as he said the name. "I'm not the pregnant one so please direct your arguments elsewhere. Harry, if you're done…?" He pushed back from the table.

"Oh yes." Harry followed. "I suppose Albus would have worked out somewhere for you to stay?"

"Yes." Ron stood holding a hand of a little girl each and Harry grinned down at them.

"Blah. Bleaaaah." He contorted his face scarily, smiling when they laughed.

"Harry." Hermione's face was impatient as she held her baby and followed Ron to the side door.

"Oh…yeah. Sorry. Practicing." He ruffled his hair awkwardly with a hand. "I might be doing this to my kid one day…Umm, yeah. So we can…talk in the chambers?" Harry looked to Severus who nodded as he led them along the corridor away from the Great Hall.

"I can barricade myself in my workroom. Though I should really leave. Your children should be safely hidden by the time I return to see the damage. Or I can just wait until they turn up here and put them in double negatives." He smiled reminiscently, though strangely the kids took it for another scary face and started to laugh again.

"We'll warn you now then. You might be taking points from your House. We're raising a Ravenclaw and Slytherin it seems. We'll let you know how the boy turns out." Ron joked.

"Morgana help me. Weasleys in Slytherin…"

"Don't scare poor Severus like that. He has a weak heart." Harry giggled. The man snorted in reply.

"Please Potter. I'll take this time to visit the hospital wing."

"'kay. Bring down some anti-nausea. I think I used your last this morning…" Harry called after him.

"There's a fresh batch in the workroom to be bottled." Severus waved a hand vaguely in reply as he turned the corner.

Harry blinked before shaking his head and leading Ron and the family along. "Okay. Not long now."

Hermione waited until they were before the chamber portrait to start talking.

"So. You and Professor Snape are close."

"Hmm? Yeah. Albus put me to stay with him. It's been rough actually…good days, bad days. You know, just like classes used to be with him." Harry flashed a grin.

"Uh, Harry. Herms meant…you two seem, close as in, are you two…good friends?" Ron interpreted.

"Uhh…_Veri Tascum._" Harry stepped in and shut the portrait behind Ron and the girls. "I don't know about good friends but we get along? Why?"

"Jeez, were we really this dense at school?" Ron muttered almost to himself and Hermione smiled at him.

"Yes you were. But anyway, Harry we meant are you…seeing him."

Harry blinked. "Seeing…_Severus_?" He plopped down into his cushy armchair and gaped. "Oh my God, no! I mean…no!" Harry shook his head. "It's…it's too soon to be thinking about that…much less Severus. I mean, I know he's gay because he was with Remus and he's nice and all but…_no_!" Harry continued to seem shell-shocked as the little girls ran from thing to thing wildly and he took no heed.

Ron and Hermione sat on the couch across from him and smiled. "Okay."

"And it's never too soon to get over that git. We got an extract of the Prophet from our paper in America and it's terrible what Malfoy wrote about you."

"And we know you'd never have cheated on him…then your whole rebuttal article came out yesterday and we decided this was a great time to come." Hermione finished as she moved the toddler from one arm to another. "Ron could you…"

Harry watched as Ron conjured a small rocking cradle and Hermione put the baby in.

"How bout an introduction huh? Who's the sleeping cutie? I know I've seen Lissa and Ria already." Harry grinned fondly. He'd been at St. Mungo's waiting with Ron when they'd been born.

"Melissa and Maria thank you." Hermione corrected. The girls froze where they were and looked around like two sentinels on watch for danger, before going back to messing around, at the sound of their names. "And this is little Erick."

"Cute name." He looked over the red tufted baby with a little smile and sat back with a sigh when Ron and Hermione settled down again. "And…lemme see what was I to tell you before we went into dinner?"

"Why you haven't been talking to the family? Writing or visiting or anything lately? Or nearly often enough." Ron stated quietly.

Harry wriggled down into his chair. "You know the only reason I even made it to your girls' birth was because Draco was out of town. He doesn't…didn't, want to visit with me. And I felt awkward alone. I know how your mum feels about Draco and I didn't want to come for another round of lectures…"

"She wouldn't have if you'd come. I know she wouldn't. Even mum knows when to stop. So you didn't come so often because of Draco?"

"Yeah. And when I was there I never did get a new owl after Hedwig died because the mansion had a whole owlery. It would have felt silly. So I couldn't write that often either. The times he caught me we had horrible rows." Harry whispered.

"We knew he wasn't right for you all along! Why didn't you listen to us? Someone who didn't like your family would at least learn to accept them _for you_. All he did was put you down about talking to the Weasleys constantly."

"I was in love with him Hermione!" Harry finally yelled hoarsely before clutching his hair. "I thought…it'd work out…"

"Couldn't you see the warning signs Harry?" Hermione said more quietly. "How he always liked dominating you…he certainly liked being seen with you, as if he _owned_ the great Harry Potter…we were always waiting to see if he'd ever get the guts to hit you."

Harry's face crumpled, pained. "Maybe love is blind Hermione but I couldn't see. I thought…that was how it was." He offered lamely. "It sounds strange but you used to like…domineer Ron a bit,"

"Order around. There's a difference." Ron cut in.

"But I knew you loved him at heart. I thought that was just how it was with Draco and me. And we had our problems but they all seemed worked out at the end of the day. I didn't…I didn't know any better."

"Why oh why couldn't you have come out with a different boyfriend?" Ron muttered under his breath before sighing out loud. "Well. At least that's over now."

"Or is it? You said something earlier…Professor Snape would be hoping we could talk some sense into you about…?"

"Draco." Harry's eyes darted around nervously. "I know you guys won't like hearing this but he…he is my son's father and I still feel like he has a right to be a part of his life…"

"Oh Gods." Ron covered his face.

"And I know we might never get together again but perhaps we could work out something for our son…" Harry said a bit louder, biting on his lip.

"I can't believe you just said that." Hermione said quietly. "After all he said about you in the papers. He made you out to be some bed-hopping…! Bloody hell," She froze suddenly.

"MUM SAID BAD WORD!" The two girls immediately ran to her from poking around Severus' desk and held out their hands. Hermione groaned and placed a candy drop in each hand.

"That's my punishment for the bad word. They'll be terrors to put down later." She shook her head as she shooed them off. "As I was saying, he knew you'd only just come out with him and there'd been no one else…like that before, so how could he say such a thing? And you're willing to forgive him after he slandered your name _internationally_!"

"He was…angry. In shock. I dunno." Harry sighed heavily.

"What about what you hinted at in your rebuttal? What did he say to you that made you…?" Ron queried.

"Oh. It was in the letter he sent me after the…umm, incident at Remus'." Harry looked away. "We'd just had a showdown of a fight, and I think Severus had just umm, beat him up, and that's why he wrote the letter. Something about me aborting the baby and he'd take me back…I don't think he meant it?"

"Where's the letter?" Hermione asked.

"Severus burnt it. We had a row over that. He told me to forget Draco, get over him and think about my baby. And I'm trying…I really am."

"It's true then." Ron murmured. "We really were this stupid. Harry, if that baby wasn't sleeping I'd come over and shake your brains out." His friend stared in shock. "What? Did you expect agreement? You want to go back to the man who asked you to kill your kid if you wanted _him_ back! As if you're the one in the wrong? Hell must be freezing over Harry because I find myself agreeing with Snape."

Hermione nodded. "Me too. If you're still in love with him you have to work out of it. Because you need to keep him far away from your child. Far away from you."

"Hmm. He's doing that all on his own." Harry twisted until he was curled in his chair. "He's probably holed up at Grimmauld Place tonight with his fuck buddy." Harry, Ron and Hermione cringed as the girls came up to Harry and held out their hands. "Err, sorry. No candy. Forget I said that word. Sorry about that girls." He smiled weakly as they ran off. "So…they know that word huh?"

"Fred and George." Ron scowled.

"So he and Remus really…?" Hermione pressed on.

"Yes. Severus had come over to the mansion to get me to see if Remus' Floo was open or if it was just his and he found me in the Floo room waiting for Draco. So we went to Grimmauld together because he offered to help me find Draco after but when we went upstairs…" Harry took a deep breath. "I heard them talking in Remus' bedroom. Draco was saying it was over between him and I and I dropped the vials of Wolfbane Severus'd had for Remus. I got found and there was just this big fight…" Harry rubbed his temples. "I had a magical overload. Haven't had one of those in a while, huh? Almost ripped Grimmauld apart like I did Voldemort. Lucky Severus was there…"

"Hmm."

"Seems he's around a lot." Ron commented.

"Yeah. He's my un-thanked savior." Harry smiled slightly. "Gods, even when he hated me during school he was always saving my life. Don't think he meant to besides first year but…" He shrugged in his chair.

They all sat pondering before they jumped a few minutes later at the portrait opening. Harry sat up suddenly and looked around.

"Ria! Lissa…" He looked around and breathed a sigh of relief as they came out of his bedroom. Not too much to mess around with in there.

"Were those cretins running loose in my chambers?" Severus' mouth twisted as the girls ran past him to Harry.

"No, they were in my room. Your potions are quite safe." Harry smiled as the man went to his workroom and slammed the door. "Don't worry. That's his way of saying 'stay out'."

"Who'd want to go in?" Ron muttered lowly, 'oomph-ing' as Hermione elbowed him.

"Well it's time for the kids to go to bed. Get them settled in and talk to the Headmaster."

"Oh." Harry stood. "Okay. I've got to help Severus bottle some potions anyway. And some reading to do later. But I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

"Of course." Hermione hugged him as Ron picked up the cradle and called the girls to him. "We'll see you at breakfast."

"Okay. 'Night." Harry waved to Ron as they left and shut the portrait after them with a tired yawn.

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise. All HP characters and places belong to JK Rowling.

Chpts 7?

**Days Like These**

The next four days passed swiftly with him seeing actually more of Harry as he walked around the school with his friends during classes, instead of staying in the chambers. But he didn't actually talk with him that much, with him always on the move. But he was happy Potter was out socializing again and it seemed to be doing well for him, more than coming out of his shell he was gaining weight and not around the stomach yet but some body mass.

Mrs. Weasley terrorized him over meals while Weasley shook his head at Harry's attempts to waylay her. They walked around the school grounds and talked by the lake. They had even ventured into Hogsmeade together over the weekend, Harry coming back late evening, chattering and laughing to him.

But then the fifth day of their stay came and the Weasley family was preparing to leave. Harry was in the chambers talking to them for the last time while their baby boy slept close by. The twin girls were off with Minerva and the Headmaster, being plied with lemon drops most likely, Severus smiled satirically from his armchair next to Harry's. That would teach them to let Albus babysit.

"Keep eating well. Put more proteins and carbs in your diet. And don't you dare slack off! And if you're going to be using the anti-nausea potion until that symptom passes at least take advantage and eat some food after. And…"

"_Hermione_." Harry whined. "I love you to pieces, really, but I'm _not_ your kid. And I've heard it all before. Twice."

His lips curled more as he watched Harry cower under his friend's glare before his eyes turned to Weasley, who was watching him. He arched an eyebrow, eyes narrowing and waited until he looked away. No backbone, he snorted to himself.

"…visit again before you have your child. And you have no excuse for not visiting the Burrow during the holidays. And you can write to both of us now too. Here's our address…" Mrs. Weasley went on.

"And remember all the advice we gave you…especially about Draco." Ron added.

"Which piece would that be? Shoot him, burn him, Avada him, forget him…?" Harry quipped back.

"The looking elsewhere piece." Weasley's wife stared at Harry until his eyes lowered, flicking around and a blush stained his cheeks. "Yes. And Professor…"

"What?" Severus said evenly looking from Harry to her.

"Here's a copy of our address for you too. If anything happens to Harry or he needs us…"

Severus nodded taking the slip of parchment. "Of course Mrs. Weasley."

"Hermione please. And Ron. We're not students anymore." She said firmly standing.

"Ah. Her-mione, then?" Severus' lips twisted. "Weasley."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Yeah Harry. I think it is an affectionate nickname for us, to him. Potter and Weasley."

Harry stood suddenly, face still slightly red. "Let me walk you guys out."

Severus wandered into his workroom to being his batch of Calming potions and Pepper-Up draughts for the next week's Infirmary stock, one ear listening for the sound of Potter's return.

It was strange that his friends were trying to reach out to _him_. Had Harry told them something…well, what could Potter have said? He thought cuttingly to himself. More likely…it was something that Gran…_Hermione_, had said to him! Then again Weasley seemed smarter than he had when he went to school here. It seemed they had tried to steer Harry along the path to looking forward.

Just now to see if Potter had listened. Severus snorted as he started the base for the potions in twelve large caldrons.

* * *

Ron looked to Hermione with a slightly tilted head and grimace as he walked behind Harry. His wife smiled back before turning her attention to Harry.

"You know Harry, I know you don't think of Severus as you know, dating material but if you start getting out again, maybe it'll help you move on."

"Not this again." Harry ruffled his hair with one hand as he blushed. "I'm not _interested_, okay? Besides he…he's interested in someone else and he would not date someone unless it was serious. Severus wants to settle down. I couldn't use him…WHY am I even explaining? The answer is no! Gods! Now I have to get Severus and…_sex_ out of my head!"

Hermione blinked in surprise. "He's interested in someone else? Not Remus…?"

"No. That's over. But Remus told me the reason why they broke up. It was because Severus was in love with someone else. And I shouldn't really be telling you this…" Harry looked over his shoulder before turning back to whisper. "It's really private to him and he obviously really cares about whoever it is so I'm not going to go…sticking myself in there. Lose that idea."

Hermione arched an eyebrow. "I can't believe he's interested in someone else Harry…I mean," She shrugged a shoulder. "He seems…attached to you."

"It's just like how people thought you were my girlfriend because we were close friends." Harry waved away lightly. "Just because we live together and we're both gay and we're sort of friends we're not going to jump each other!" Harry flushed uncomfortably. "Can we drop this?" He hissed as they approached the lobby.

"Sure. Personally, it's turning my stomach." Ron said. He shuddered as he approached Albus and Professor McGonagall. "Thanks for watching the kids."

"No problem. They were a joy." Albus twinkled as the girls ranwildly around his legs. "All ready?"

"Yes. We'll just walk out past the gate and get the Knight bus to take us to the airport." Hermione shook her head as she fixed the girls' clothes after catching them. "Muggle airports need some better organization, it's always such a rush! Anyway, we have to hurry, we are a bit late."

"Bye." Harry said quietly standing aside.

"Don't miss us too much." Ron joked. "We'll be back."

"And you'll keep in touch won't you?" Hermione waited until he nodded with a small grin. "Good. Bye Albus, Minerva." She hugged them both before taking the girls' hands and starting to walk down the steps. Ron had the baby in his arms and grinned before following. Harry looked after them, despondently and waved.

They were gone before any of them turned from the doors. Harry looked at both his professors and smiled crookedly.

"I miss them already."

"Soon you'll have that." Albus smiled kindly. "Don't worry."

Harry swallowed. "I better head back down. Severus would have started brewing for the afternoon."

He was grateful as he got further away and they didn't call and rushed the rest of the way back, slamming the portrait behind him as he fled into his dungeon chambers.

He took a deep breath as he looked around the room slowly. He needed to do something with his life. He wanted what Ron and Hermione had…so bad. He couldn't stay here, he had to get out on his own. And find a man he could actually date, Harry thought with a flush.

"Harry?" A frowning black-crowned face stuck out of Severus' workroom doorway and Harry turned his flushed face there.

"Yeah, uhh. Sorry, about slamming the door. I'm okay. They left." Harry expelled in a hurried breath, smiling fakely.

He kept smiling as the man came out narrowed eyes on him. "It helped then. Your friends talked some sense into you." Harry's smile faded as he gaped. "I am glad they came then…to give you some direction."

"What…what if I said that I'm leaving?" Harry said spontaneously.

"If that's what you need to do to move on." The Potions Master said evenly. "I have twelve caldrons on but they don't require ingredients being added for an hour now. If you want to discuss…"

Harry stepped forward awkwardly before taking Severus' hand and leading him over to the couch. "There _is_ something I want to talk to you about." Harry settled into the couch after releasing the hand and breathed deeply as Severus sat stiffly next to him. "I just got this idea…about, how to move on."

"And your deduction is?" The professor asked clipped.

"Firstly. Umm, you've been out of the dating loop since Remus right? And you know, since I've been here I've…umm, never seen you go out…" Harry rushed out. "And I hope I'm not holding you back from who you may want…So I'm figuring you probably want me to go…in case I'm cramping your style."

There was a small pause before the professor turned to him slightly on the couch and stared.

"Is that…" The dark head shook. "No. I don't think I'm going back out into dating like that. So you don't need to worry about that. You are free to stay here as long as you need to. But you said you had an idea…?"

"Well, I just thought of it. Maybe I could buy back the place where my parents' house was in Godric's Hollow. Build a house. Make myself a family." Harry finished quietly. "I want to one day have what Ron and Hermione have and I don't see…myself getting that living in here with you. I mean, I can't expect to stay here with a baby…you couldn't live like that."

"Perhaps." Severus said quietly. "You could do it I suppose…if you got a good muggle construction company and got a few wizards in on it…do you require assistance?"

Harry smiled widely. "I'd like that. I'd like to start as soon as possible. But first I'll help you with your potions." He hesitated. "I know I've never said it but…thank you so much." Harry hugged the stiff man in his arms tightly with a squeeze before letting go. "You don't know how much you've helped me. But enough, let's go bottle some potions."

* * *

Two weeks had passed since Potter deducted his brilliant plan to rebuild his parents house. He'd got the money from his vaults and easily bid enough to make the Magical Historical Authority forget why they wanted the house ruins in the first place and had even started planning the layout and design he wanted with _his_ help. But something else had come up since.

"Bloody…buggering…HELL!" The shout came from inside Potter's private chambers.

"Kill yourself more quietly Potter." Severus muttered from behind his paper.

"Dammit…" The door opened and Potter stomped out angrily, making Severus look up, then his eyebrows rose swiftly. "Look at this!"

Oh, he was looking. He might have been willowy as hell but he did have definition…and his nipples were a most intriguing shade. Like raspberries. His eyebrows had to be somewhere in his hair as he wondered the point of Harry coming out bare torso-ed to show him all his peaches and cream coloured skin, peach, where the sun had touched…cream where, not, he looked down to the unbuttoned and unzipped jeans. His eyes followed the light trail of black hair from his navel down…down, until the trail became extensive, then he looked away. And obviously Potter was not wearing underwear…

"…designer jeans and slack barely three months ago! I remember I almost had a fit over the price and now LOOK!"

"Look at what?" He grated out. He'd had enough of looking. His libido couldn't take the teasing anymore, if the ache in his groin meant anything. What was the point of this parade of half-nakedness?

"I'm getting fat!" Harry tugged up the jeans again but they weren't moving upwards at all and seemed stuck around his thighs where they were rather snug. "I can't get them up anymore even without under…"

Severus lifted his paper and shook his head hopelessly as Harry yelped and sat suddenly at the kitchen table across from him.

"Are you quite done?" Severus ventured out after a minute. Harry managed to stop staring at the table and blushing embarrassedly long enough to look up and nod before looking away. "Good. I'd inform you then that this sort of thing tends to happen when you're gaining weight and _pregnant_." He drawled mockingly.

"But already?" Harry's voice was a whine. There wasn't anything else to call it but a pathetic whine, that grated…strangely on his heartstrings.

"Yes. You've been eating well for about a month now and I'd guess your stomach would begin to grow now too…so,"

"Bugger." Harry muttered. "Well…at least it wasn't my money I guess…I'd be _really_ pissed then."

"Draco bought those clothes for you?"

"Yes, I told you. He liked me to look good. Combed back hair and all that. If he could see me now." Harry laughed, shaking his shaggy head where the black feathery locks had grown. "I think I'll go into Hogmeade and buy some oversized T-shirts and some worn jeans. If I'm going to be fat I'm going to be fat and comfortable. And I can always resize Draco's things for going out." He stood awkwardly from the table, tugging on the pants again as he turned away. "Err, and sorry for…umm, interrupting your reading."

"Oh it was my pleasure." He smirked lifting his paper as Potter ran off. Gods it was too easy. He shifted in his seat and shook out his paper.

* * *

That afternoon Harry returned with two bags full of second hand clothes and changed into a shirt and jeans immediately, pretending to lounge around like a whale.

"I don't get the satisfaction of doing this all day…how did Dudley do it?" Severus hummed from behind his potion's book. He had tests to set for O.W.L's and N.E.W.T exams and no time to listen to Harry ramble. "…around and eating and drinking all day. Well, Dudley and Uncle Vernon anyway. I think Aunt Petunia was schizophrenic or something. You know, when you're sick with that disease that makes you all hyper and a neat freak…or is that Obsessive Compulsive?"

"Potter…" Severus hissed, squeezing his nose bridge as he looked up.

"Huh?" He stared for a moment as Potter twisted on the couch onto his stomach to look at him at his desk. The wide, green eyes blinked innocently…happily at him and he realized Harry probably didn't usually get to talk freely and openly like this unless with his close friends. Draco certainly wouldn't have allowed it.

He waved a hand vaguely. "A bit softer please? And it's obsessive compulsive disorder."

"So then Draco shows up and he sees Hermione and Ron there and he's like…" Harry paused in telling his story to stare at the parchment he was correcting for Severus. "Err, since when does a potion to cure boils contain a bezoar?" 

Severus looked over from his desk to Harry who was lounging on the floor with a pillow and shook his head. "Since the first years don't listen. Give it a D."

"But…they got the rest right. Sort of…" Harry scanned the paper again. "See if you added a bezoar you'd have poisoned the potion but if they'd used the shrivelfigs and done what they have here it would have worked. Come on, a C+."

Severus swiveled his chair and glared. "I never give out marks that are not deserved."

"A C?" Harry frowned.

"No." He turned back around and turned to the parchment he was correcting.

"A C-." Harry saw his back stiffen and grinned internally. He was such a softie. "Pleeease?" He pouted just as Severus shot him a look and widened his eyes as the man scowled.

"Fine."

"Okay. And since we did that everyone gets booted up one grade point." Harry pulled out his wand to make the changes.

"Let's make a deal…if I do that you have to eat something I make you for dessert."

Harry arched an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Something delicious and nutritious. I've wanted someone to test it on."

"Is this some sort of mad scientist potion you've been concocting?" Harry asked dubiously.

"No. Deal or no deal? Think of the poor Gryffindors that need to go up this year…" Severus smirked.

"Fine. It can't be too bad." And then he changed the marks on all his papers as Severus upped the grades on his.

"Gods…I've actually given out two A-'s." Harry smiled widely as Severus' lip curled.

"They deserve it. You know they do. You just gave them B's because they're not Slytherins." Harry raised a hand. "And don't you deny it."

Severus 'hmph'ed' and climbed out of his chair gracefully. "Time to make dessert." He smirked wickedly.

"Where was I? So then Draco sees them and he's like, what are they doing here? And I said I asked them to come here because I'm coming out! And he, I swear, looks like he's going to die, he's that red in the face." Harry kept working until the smell of hot milk came to him and he grimaced, pushing off the floor.

"Whassat?" Harry peered around the man with the spoon into the pot of boiling milk.

"It's not done yet. So back to marking."

"Is that milk? You know I can't stand milk…Severus! I don't want it."

"Pomfrey told you. You need to have more calcium for the baby. And you hate vegetables and don't like eggs anymore. So," Severus crossed his arms and turned to Harry who was a head shorter than him but pouting. "And that's not going to work. We had a deal."

Harry's face contorted. "It smells horrid."

"You won't even know there's milk in it when I'm done. Go back and keep marking."

Half hour later Severus had joined him again and an hour after that he was tentatively nibbling at some frozen milk and cinnamon concoction.

"Well?" Severus demanded. Harry hummed and scrapped his spoon against the top.

"It's not bad. I know there's milk in it though."

"You wouldn't have known if you'd not seen it." Severus smirked proudly. "Now finish up. And perhaps the second years will get some better marks."

"Gods! You'd bloody think this child was yours." Harry muttered over his dessert as Severus left the kitchen. "You're pushier than an expectant father."

* * *

But he heard. His heart had not leapt though. No. He stomped it down roughly. Harry couldn't see himself living the life of 'happy family' with him.

This was all Albus' fault. The bastard had purposely put Harry in here with him. He was never telling that old bastard anything important about himself again. He'd been getting over his minor…okay, major, infatuation with Potter while the boy was living happily, _not so happily_ his mind supplied, with his godson. And then he had to show up here. And be so hurt and bloody vulnerable with his bloody big green eyes and…Circe! Now he was in love with Harry 'The-Man-Who-Wouldn't-Fucking-Die' Potter.

The whole problem started in Harry's sixth year when he started training the boy and the boy had started growing into a handsome young man. It had worsened when he'd gotten to know said handsome young man the next year, found out he was gay and to top that off was coming out with his godson, he at least knew the full story behind Draco's fainting spell now. It had become infatuation when he was finding out things from Draco about Harry. How nice he was, cute, innocent…how not like James he was. And when he'd actually started talking to Harry. When they'd become allies and the boy would be fidgeting awkwardly as they talked about Draco and where Potter wanted his life to go with him. When he'd seen the boy had vision and wasn't just some teenager out for a fuck was when the major infatuation had began. Oh yes, and he knew Draco. Draco wasn't like that. But he was flexible, he'd work Harry into his plan. For a while there he'd believed Draco would do it…he'd come through and make Harry happy and he could forget him.

Then they'd started having problems and he'd had to finish with Remus because he was leading the man on to nothing and then Draco and Harry had fallen apart and then BLOODY FUCKING ALBUS!

Severus snorted through his nose angrily as he snapped at the director of a wizarding construction firm he'd hired to work on Harry's house. The man's workers must be the most incompetent arseholes on the face of the Earth. What part of the basement had to be solid twelve inch imported stone did they not understand?

"Severus…is this really all that important?" Harry whispered embarrassed next to him. "I can take another kind of stone…"

"This is the best." The Potions Master crossed his arms and glared. "What stone are the dungeons of Hogwarts made of?"

"Err, I dunno…" Harry's eyes darted around as he hissed back. "Is this important?"

"Yes! If you for instance want to use the basement for protection, this stone is the best. How do you think the dungeons stand up to the thousand explosions the children put it through a year? Why do you think Hogwarts is considered the safest place in wizarding England?"

"Okay!" Harry finally gave in throwing his hands up. "Jeez, bloody hell!" Harry pushed up from his chair in the office of the man's firm and frowned. "You keep harassing the man then, I'll be right back."

Severus narrowed his eyes on Harry's body. Over the past two weeks Harry's body had grown…and _grown_. He was a week into his fourth month now and under that button-up shirt he could tell that yes, Harry was pregnant. He was ashamed to say he was guilty of having been even more protective than usual.

"Where are you going?" Thank Morgana Harry humoured him.

"I'm going to the bathroom." Harry rolled his eyes and turned with his hand on the doorknob. "Would you like to come and hold my hand?"

Severus glowered as he left. Then he turned back to the wizard. "Don't think I've forgotten you. I want those stones! _Twelve_ inches."

"Yessir." The man nodded eagerly. "Could we perhaps discuss with you some changes to…"

"The plans stay as they are." Severus sneered. He and Harry had sat together and planned that house and if he wasn't going to be bloody well living there with him he wanted to make sure Harry had a piece of him in the bloody house. And he'd be secure. Because this house was going to be the safest in wizarding England. He was planning to go to Albus to ask him to cast the spells on the house foundation also. Harry was more powerful but with him being pregnant he couldn't overtax himself.

"Perhaps then the furnishings…"

"We don't want…! Harry doesn't _want,_" Severus gathered himself. "More expensive furniture. It's fine. Simple, tasteful and fitting. That's it."

"Perhaps then some decoration to…"

"What part of there are other wizarding construction and designing firms don't you understand? We can go somewhere else you know!"

"Severus!" Harry opened the door with an angry hiss. "I can hear you down the hall." He shut the door behind himself and frowned. "Please." He returned to his seat and smiled at the man. "I'm sorry…what were you saying?"

Severus leaned back and smirked. Was grinning nastily outright by the time Harry had shot down everything the man suggested.

"Told you." He hissed spitefully. The man frowned at him as Harry rolled his eyes again.

"My friend is not the most…personable but if he tells you something, just listen okay? He knows what I want." Harry stood again. "We'll just Floo out then. Come on Severus."

He shot the man another triumphant look as he followed Harry into the Floo and when they reentered his chambers shook out his robes, loftily.

"But you didn't have to be so hard on him."

"That's how it works Potter." Severus arched an eyebrow imposingly. "Screaming at wayward people makes them see the light. Obey and there's no screaming. Simple."

"Unless of course those wayward people are Gryffindors." Harry smiled widely heading for the kitchen. "It never worked on us!"

"I'll have you know many a Gryffindor has cowered as I have insulted their heritage, intelligence and ancestry in twenty words or less, in a warning hiss. Then I escalate to doing it in a shout if they ignore the warning." Severus strode after him and set himself down at the table to watch Potter scavenge in his fridge.

"Unnhhh…" A whine started from behind the door. "Don't you have any chocolate?"

"Do I look like a chocolate person Potter?" He stretched his legs under the table. "I believe I told you two days ago, I do not buy chocolates."

"Well you're not buying them for yourself. You're buying them for me!" Harry stood from behind the door and clipped it shut. "I see bloody iron tablets popping up everywhere and you suddenly cooking desserts every single bloody day with milk and NO bloody chocolates!"

"Pomfrey said nothing about you needing sugars." He replied flatly.

"Severus!" Harry threw himself into the chair across from him dramatically. "I'm craving, damn you. I neeeeed the chocolate."

He crossed his arms and stared.

"Please?" Harry beseeched. "Don't make me have to go visit Albus to get lemon drops…" he covered his hands with his face. "It's enough I've already gained twelve pounds and this kid isn't even done growing in me yet…but I need the sugar dammit! I need it like a junkie needs a _fix_!"

"I'll get you a box for your birthday." He finally capitulated darkly. "Stop whining and eat a yogurt. Which you needed ever so bloody badly from Minerva. Or have a few Bott beans. Who got you those again? Mrs. Weasley when you wrote her about your 'horrible cravings'?"

Harry flushed. "I needed those when I needed them."

"Hmm."

"Please?" Harry tried again softly.

"Birthday." He muttered back. "Now please be quiet. I have tests to correct in these last two weeks of the year. And I don't want to hear you whining in the background."

Oh Gods no…His eye twitched as Potter's bottom lip stuck out ever so slightly. He was not buying him any chocolates. He could play that with Minerva and Albus and Hagrid and Mother Weasley but that was not going to bloody work on him!

"Fine!" Harry pushed up with a light grunt. "I'm going to go talk over my house plans with Albus."

"Take the short cut. Slow on the stairs. Call for Fawkes if you need help." Severus stood with a simulated yawn as he headed to his desk.

"Bastard."

* * *

A/N: don't you just love these sweet scenes of domes...domesticity?...domescislitty? Domesticated-ness! #bloody hell! I think my vocabulary ran away!#

Anyway, while I'm still coherent...#HA!# Umm, I'll try to update during this week. I'm sure you've noticed I've been only updating on weekends but last night I forgot so I still have to post something else tomorrow...or maybe Tuesday. Hang in there people!


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise. All HP characters and places belong to JK Rowling.

Chpts 8?

**Days Like These**

"Harry? What are you doing all the way up here my boy? And without Severus." Albus twinkled madly.

"I slipped my watchdog to come get some sweets." Harry sank into the armchair across from Albus' and took the offered can of lemon drops happily. "These are the safe ones right?"

"No Calming draught or Veritaserum if that's what you mean."

Harry popped three into his mouth and sucked them with a smile. "Brilliunh."

"So. Did you only come to see me for the sweets?"

"Mmhmm?" Harry pushed the sweets into his cheek. "Wanna see my house?"

"Sure. I've heard of the project already. Severus was determined to get me to bless the foundation. Won't let you in your condition." Albus smiled.

"Not again." Harry groused under his breath.

"Well he is correct. Wouldn't be smart to do it this far along."

"I'm not _that far along_." Harry retorted.

"You really think so? In that case then Harry my boy!" Albus nodded firmly. "I have a job for you."

"A job…like what?" Harry replied suspiciously.

"Like next year's Defense Against the Dart Arts teacher. Mr. McClaggen is leaving at the end of the year you know. He's enjoyed it greatly you know but since your rebuttal article the kids have been wondering why you're staying here and many are asking for you to teach them."

"Teach them?" Harry whispered. "But I'm not…a teacher. I'm not qualified!" He hacked out his lemon drops into his hand.

"How much more qualified can you get than defeating Voldemort." Albus joked. "And…and! Wait Harry. You were the highest of your class in Defensive magic, you know how to combat the Dark Arts, you have been an Auror and Hit Wizard. Now, how much more qualified can you get than that." He finished quietly, serious.

"But…but I am pregnant. By the time they get back I'll be _huge_."

"Do you think the children will care? Now if you're worried about yourself we can have some changes made? We can move you to a classroom closer to the Hospital wing and I'm sure the castle would be willing to include a little passage way from there straight to the dungeons."

"I don't know…" Harry bit his lip hesitantly. "Could I get back to you?"

"Sure. Sure." Albus smiled again happily. "Lemons drops to go?"

"No. I've still got mine. Thanks. I'll be back then."

He walked back to his chambers slowly, thinking over what the hell he was going to tell Severus. Or beg of him. He knew he wanted to take the job but…

"How many of those infernal drops did you eat?" Severus herded him into the chambers from lagging in the doorway.

"Worried were you?" Harry quipped back. "I only had three. Still have them actually." And he showed him the sticky sweets in his hand.

"Then what took so long?" Harry smiled gratefully as he was pushed into his cushy chair and sighed.

"Albus wanted to talk. He ambushed me. I swear it…he asked me to take the Defense post next year." Harry tilted his head to see Severus' face.

"What did you say?"

Harry smiled weakly. "I said I'd get back to him?"

"Good." Severus said next to him. "I don't think you should do it. Children, stray hexes. Dangerous magic. No. But you can go back and tell him some other time."

Harry frowned. "Severus…I want to." He didn't try whining or pouting this time as he was quite serious and needed Severus to take him seriously too. He wanted to do this.

"It's too risky! It's too far from here. By next year you'll be…well, filled out." Severus amended quickly.

"I'll be fat. I know. But Albus understands that too. He said he'd move me to a classroom close to the hospital wing and he'll ask Hogwarts to make another passage from there to here…Please Severus. This is what I really want to do."

"Harry," Severus pinched his nose bridge and leaned into Harry's chair. "Look, I know this is what you really want to do. I appreciate that, I really do. But Harry it's too dangerous. You'll be in an area with heavy magic usage and wayward kids. Maybe after the baby is born you could recover before accepting the job but…"

"It's my choice!" Harry crossed his arms and scowled darkly. "I knew you'd say no! I'm sorry but I'm going to take the job. Thanks for your input." Harry stood and then exited to his room.

* * *

School was done and they were well into the first month of vacation and he and Harry were not on…friendly terms anymore. He was still,_ angry_ his mind supplied, very angry, about Harry discarding his advice to do the D.A.D.A job. _Potter_, had notified Albus he was accepting the job under the conditions offered.

Because he had entered the agreement before this little discord between them, he was still behind the scenes helping Harry's house be built. The muggle contractors didn't know how the house was going up so fast but the wizards were helping greatly to have the house built before Harry delivered. Severus had kept his personal feeling out of the house now as much as possible and consulted Harry stiltedly to find out what he wanted passed on. The inane man at the agency firm thought he was being nicer because he was simply cold instead of cruel…he didn't seem to understand he was below him now. He had his anger set on much bigger sights.

Which was why he was confused when Potter suddenly rushed out of his room one afternoon while he was reading and sat on his chair arm to hug him awkwardly. Out of nowhere.

"Potter!" He choked out.

"Thank you! Look, I'm so sorry I was harsh when I cut off your views on my taking the job! I just wanted you to understand how much I needed it…but I'm glad you kept your promise. I'm sorry okay? I'm so sorry. Can we just go back to being friends? _Please_? I miss..." Harry let go suddenly and leant back, eyes wet.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Severus rubbed his neck, glaring at Harry.

"The chocolates you got for my birthday. I assumed you gave them to me earlier…you know, like a peace offering. Since we were fighting…" Harry bit his lip. "Wasn't I to open them yet? 'Cuz you just left them on the bed and I already ate one…" The green eyed man offered his hand forward to show a small box he had clutched there.

"When did you get those?" Severus asked sharply, sitting up. Potter's birthday wasn't for two weeks and he'd _forgotten_ to buy him those chocolates he promised.

"Umm, just now…I didn't notice them on my bed. I was preparing some lesson plans for next year. Like you do, to get ahead. Did I do something wrong?"

"I…I didn't give you those. Give me the box!"

"What…"

"Give me the bloody box!" Severus snatched it and stood hurriedly opening it to sniff. There were two small chocolates left inside. "Bloody hell Potter! You thought I'd give you liquored chocolates while you were pregnant?"

"Liquored?" He whispered back softly. "Shit." He stumbled off to the bathroom, Severus close behind and bent in front of the toilet. "Is it safe to just…"

"Do it." Severus said sharply, going to get something from the medicine cabinet as Harry induced vomiting. He came back with a weak Cleansing potion as Harry finished heaving and shoved it into his hands.

Harry swallowed it back in hurried swallows then kept gulping to keep everything down as Severus offered him a washcloth. He stood and lowered the cover on the toilet before flushing and sitting on it shortly.

"Fuck."

"What the hell were you thinking?" Severus stooped in front of him and clutched his shoulders. "Potter!"

"I didn't know they…were liquered!" He hiccuped back hoarsely. "I just saw the box and opened it…and it was chocolates so I assumed they were yours! I didn't think…"

"Was there a note?" Severus stood suddenly. "Who the hell was stupid enough to send you that! That shit probably has enough liquor in it to make a child drunk by the smell!"

"There wasn't a note!" Harry shouted back. "I told you I thought they were from you!"

Severus paused as tears started to run down Harry's cheeks and lowered his voice. "You should be more careful. It was probably just some stupid kid from in the school that got a house elf to bring it in for you but…you don't just eat things like that."

"I'm sorry." Harry sobbed. "Gods I'm sorry…I…didn't mean to…" He wrapped his arms around his swollen stomach and cried harder.

"Okay Harry. Okay, I'm sorry." Severus kneeled again, shoulders slumping. "Harry, come on. Don't…cry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. It's not your fault."

"Oh Gods! I could have just…endangered my child for…_a fucking chocolate!_" Severus sighed using shaky hands to wipe Harry's cheeks.

"It was not your fault. It's okay see? You'd only just eaten it right?" At Harry's fast nod he smiled. "Then it's okay. And there was a Cleansing potion to get all the alcohol out of your system completely. You're fine and the baby's fine."

"I don't need to go to Madam Pomfrey?" Harry whispered, blinking wetly at him. "I'd feel like such an arse telling her what I did!"

"It's okay. You don't have to go." Severus blinked, taking his hands off Harry's face. "Come. Up. I'll keep these chocolates and get you some safe ones okay? How do you feel?"

"Scared. Shaky and scared." His body was trembling as he leaned on him slightly and Severus steered him from the bathroom to his bed.

"Would you like a Dreamless Sleep? To have a little nap."

"No." Harry whispered. "I'm…just going to try to sleep a bit." He crawled under the covers and turned in on his stomach huddling with his child, his back to Severus.

Severus backed out and shut the door quietly before glaring down at the box he'd had clutched in his hand all the while. If he found a magical signature on this thing and found out who the hell had been suicidal enough to send his…charge, laced chocolates…

But he found no magical signature on the box or the chocolates and settled to just thinking it was a stupid kid. And Harry was sleeping quietly in his room. No damage done. But it was too fucking hard being attached to Harry…he was always in trouble…and Severus didn't like feeling scared.

His own hands were feeling steady again only between two and three hours later and he was about to wake Harry for dinner when his fire flared.

"Severus!"

He jumped in his chair and turned to the fire, wand drawn. Then he sighed and lowered it.

"Remus. Harry's sleeping and I don't think he fancies a chat. I'm surprised you've contacted me after so long."

"Severus…" The face in the fire looked behind itself suddenly and then turned back hurried. "I've just heard something okay? Just listen to me. Draco was talking to someone about something for Harry. And the man told Draco that he'd gotten whatever it was in. I didn't hear a bit of the conversation but then Draco got mad and told him he wasn't supposed to be trying to kill Harry, just getting rid of the baby!" Remus hissed out quickly, face clammy even through the Floo connection. "Severus I think Harry's in danger! Keep him inside your chambers tonight and don't let him go out for _anything_! Okay?" Then he was gone.

The Potions Master was left staring into the fire dumbfounded as Remus' words made it to his brain. Draco had got someone to sneak something into Hogwarts for Harry…to make him lose the baby? The chocolates?….But they were just full of liquor right? It might have harmed the baby with alcohol being placed in it's blood and affecting it's birth but it wouldn't made Harry lose it…or kill him. So…

Severus stood suddenly paling. The liquor had smelled so strong. And if there was anything strong liquor could cover it was the smell of a sneaky poison. One that could make Harry miscarry the baby. And three chocolates could leave _Harry_ dead.

He grabbed his wand and ran into his workroom to the crumpled box of chocolates. So stupid. He checked it again and moaned softly as the test came out differently. Circe, Harry!

He fled from the workroom to Harry's bedroom and slammed open the door. Harry was twisted into the sheets, sleeping fitfully and he looked sick, skin flushed with fever as he struggled. He pulled the sheets off his body roughly and lifted him off the bed. The fastest way was to Floo but that was too dangerous…the secret stairs.

He was bursting into the hospital wing in less than ten minutes later which was a record and yelling for Madam Pomfrey before he had Harry on a bed.

"What! What is going on?" She screeched, hurrying in. She came up next to Harry and gasped at him.

"Poison. Someone poisoned him…" Severus gasped. "Samples…in my lab. I think, it's a really bad one. Maybe as strong as a Draught…of Living Death." He panted out. "I gave him a Cleansing potion earlier." Severus waved a hand. "It didn't get rid of this so it must be…a high level poison. Stabilize him please, the baby. I need to go back…Identify the poison."

"How long ago…" Madam Pomfrey was already heading for the potions cabinet.

"Less than three hours. Dammit! It wasn't the strongest! Use your strongest!"

Severus made it back to his chambers in ten minutes, fit to collapse before he remember he had the man he loved reluctantly to save. Again.

He snorted dryly, gasping as he stumbled into his workroom and over to the workstation with the chocolates. If Draco lost Harry his baby…or made him lose Harry…he'd kill him.

* * *

Harry woke once in the next hour to dry heave violently and then he passed out as his body went into convulsions. Madam Pomfrey waited for Severus as long as she could before putting the strongest Cleansing potion she had down Harry's throat. They had to find out what kind of poison it was before they could give him a fixed antidote.

Then she had to bind down Harry's jerking body before he hurt himself. She had just finished as Severus ran back in looking wild with a vial in his hand.

"Basilisk venom!" He thrust out the vial. "Crushed bezoar. Need freshest phoenix tears we can get. Call Albus."

She hurried off to firecall Albus as Severus went over to Harry's bed to watch over him. She returned quickly after contacting him and telling him the rushed version to find Severus sitting next to Harry, looking frozen.

"Albus is coming." Fawkes appeared before he did though and Madam Pomfrey got him to shed a few tears into the bezoar vial before rushing over to his potions cabinet again. "Severus…?"

"Strongest again. It's the only one that'll work." He said flatly.

"He's not dead yet. Severus snap out of it! I need you here!" Madam Pomfrey snapped, mixing the vials.

"I know he's not dead! Harry isn't going to die. I'm doing this to save him!" Severus glared at her angrily. "Get over here and get it down his throat."

"But…" Then she realized he was really doing it to save _just_ Harry. He didn't think the baby was going to make it. If she was honest she didn't think it would either. "Okay. Okay…" Madam Pomfrey came over and massaged the liquid down his throat, scared at how hot his skin was.

"The bezoar will nullify the poison, the phoenix tears will heal any damage already caused by the venom and the Cleansing potion will clear all of what we've pumped into his system out after it's done it's job." Severus stated evenly before tugging his hair with a hysterical laugh. "I've never been optimistic before but I hope we aren't dealing with a miscarriage in a few hours too."

"Poppy!" Albus burst into the hospital wing, Minerva behind him. "What's happened?"

"Harry." Severus said flatly. "It's always Harry." He gestured lifelessly to the bed next to him. "He was poisoned."

Albus' eyes went cold. "Who? How!"

"Draco. Got someone to get someone else to slip something in to Harry through a house elf. Wasn't suppose to kill him just make him lose the baby…but the person was a bit enthusiastic in their choice of poison. Basilisk venom." Severus snorted again before letting go of Harry's hand and standing shortly. "He's gone into convulsions which is why he's tied down. Pomfrey just got him to take the antidote but he's been poisoned for hours…I'm surprised they aren't both dead already. Just to wait and see now."

"Severus!" Minerva gasped at how offhand he was about it in his tone of voice.

"Minerva." He replied evenly. "Would you like me to lie and tell you it's likely they'll both come out of this unharmed? The best case scenario I could see right now for an optimist such as you is that Harry doesn't have to know his baby is lost until it's born dead and of course Harry lives. The one that's most likely though, for a pessimist such as I, is that in a couple of hours his body is going to expel a dead baby and then Harry will _die!_" Severus finished with an angry glare.

"Severus please," Albus said quietly. "Sit back down." Minerva covered her mouth as she sobbed suddenly and took a seat too. "What happened?"

Severus retold the story then. Potter coming to him with this box of chocolates thinking it was from him, him clearing up that matter, finding out the chocolates smelled of alcohol, cleaning Harry out immediately and then setting him to bed. Remus calling just as he was about to get Harry up with his message. Checking the chocolates for poisons, finding one then getting Harry here as soon as possible. Then all the fevered brewing using bits of the chocolate to find out which poison had been in them. Until he was back here having administered the antidote, to wait.

"I can't believe…" Minerva breathed softly as he finished. "I can't…" She stood moving closer to the bed, getting another chair to sit closer to Harry.

"I'm sorry." Severus said quietly. "My behaviour earlier was…not needed. The situation is bad enough already."

Albus nodded. "Just stay under control. We must all wait now. I think, I'll contact Harry's family and friends. He'll need them if…"

Madam Pomfrey pulled up the sheets on Harry's bed and gathered all the chairs in the room around before setting up the blinds to shut him off from the rest of the wing. It was going to be a long evening.

* * *

All the torches in the Hospital wing were lit as everyone who could, pushed into the room near Harry for a seat, or to stand. It was about ten in the evening now and his body was jerking weakly but the convulsions, the worst, were over.

He wasn't dead. And he wasn't waking up screaming about a pain in his stomach as his baby died. So Severus was beginning to hope again as he pulled his chair as close to the bed as he could and hunched over holding Harry's hand as he blinked around tiredly.

The other teachers had all passed through after the story spread, Hagrid being the last to leave just half hour ago. Molly and Arthur, along with Fred and George were there, Bill having sent his wishes and Charlie, Ginny and Percy being abroad didn't know. They had contacted Ron and Hermione who were on their way though.

He turned his attention back to Harry's quiet body and sighed again, resting his head on the bed. He'd failed. All this time he'd been trying so desperately to make sure nothing happened to Harry or his child and…this.

He lifted his other hand and stroked the fevered forehead mindlessly. "I'm sorry." He whispered, tangling his fingers into the long locks.

He looked up with a frown as Molly and Arthur, suddenly stood on the other side of the bed and hurried out, at the sound of new voices. He turned back to Harry, a little more mindful of where he was this time as he touched him detachedly. Then Harry's friends tore aside the blind to get inside and he turned, heart heavy with guilt.

"What happened?" Granger-Hermione whispered.

"He got his hands on some poisoned chocolates. Compliments Draco Malfoy." Severus stated quietly. "I tried to watch him…and a promise I made to him almost unintentionally got him killed."

"If I ever lay eyes on that blonde snot again I'll kill him." Weasley said suddenly, voice deadly.

"Get in line." Severus replied flatly. "But so far so good. Even though the poison was in his system for hours…with only a weak Cleansing potion working on it, Potter's doing the rest of the fighting himself and he kept up until we got him the antidote. I had to risk…risk his child to give him that antidote but hopefully…they'll both be okay. I wasn't this hopeful earlier."

"Oh Harry." Hermione sat suddenly in the chair Mrs. Weasley senior had left and her son took his father's chair as they both gripped Harry's other hand. "I don't know what…what he'd do if he lost this baby. It's not even about Draco anymore I think. It's for the baby alone. He really wants it."

"I know he does." Severus said voice finally breaking. "I wish…"

Then Harry suddenly drew in a harsh breath and clenched his hands.

"No…no!" Severus squeezed his hand back.

"Isn't…isn't this good?" Ron leaned forward urgently.

"Not necessarily." Hermione answered. "He might be in pain and it woke him up because he's miscarrying…"

Harry arched off the bed suddenly with a cry. Severus stood suddenly squeezing his hand tighter.

"Come on Harry. Fight it. Don't make me have to wonder if it was my choice or the venom that cost you your baby…"

Harry fell back again, panting heavily. Then his lids slitted open slightly.

"Good boy." Severus caressed his forehead, a relieved smile coming out. "Back to sleep."

Harry's eyes fluttered shut and in a few minutes he was breathing deeply again.

"Get Pomfrey."

She was there in a few minutes as whoever had heard him got her and she scanned over the baby while he squeezed Harry's hand.

"It's there. In distress but alive." The whole room breathed out slightly.

"Well, there. We know which parent it takes after already. Against all odds…" Severus melted back into his chair. "Only the rest of the night to go. If he and the baby are still alive by tomorrow morning, he should be fine. The baby will take some more time to say if it's stable or not."

Albus stepped forward then. "Severus. You can lie down in a bed here."

"In the morning Albus. In the morning."

* * *

A/N: #sniffles and huddles over harry with sev#

J: Hem-hem.

#hurries back over to computer after bowing# Sorry Muse. My muse is most kind...most generous...more annoying...OWW! #rubs back on head# My muse wants me to keep writing. Must go write some more now. #I'm actually way past this but you guys hafta wait hehe#


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise. All HP characters and places belong to JK Rowling.

Chpts 9?

**Days Like These**

"…seh…" He stopped trying to move and drew in another breath. "Sev!"

The head lying on his pillow next to his twitched but the hand he was holding was still limp.

"Suhhh!" He got enough energy to tug sharply and opened his eyes a bit more as the man sat up.

"Harry?" The normally smooth voice was raspy. Kind of sexy, Harry thought sleepily. "Harry!"

"Huh?" Harry turned his head slowly at the sound of Ron's voice. Then groaned and shut his eyes.

"I…" He was hushed and a straw poked between his lips sharply so he drank. When it withdrew he tried again. "I'm…hospital wing…aren't I?"

"Yes. That's where you are." Why was Severus speaking so lowly? "You were a bit sick last night."

"The choc…olates?" Harry's face crumpled. "Baby?"

"The baby's fine. And it wasn't your fault. There was poison in the chocolates Harry. It's in no way your fault." His eyes fluttered as fingers combed through his hair again. It felt good.

"Everything…'k then?"

"Yes. As long as you keep resting. All the poison has to work out of your system. That's why you've got a bit of a fever and you probably feel weak and sickly." Severus nodded in reply to his weak nod.

"Hermione, Harry's awake!" He heard in a loud stage whisper next to his head.

"Harry?"

"Hey…Mione." He smiled tiredly.

"Oh! How do you get yourself into these things!" She sobbed suddenly and leaned forward to squeeze his hand roughly.

"Dunno." He looked up into Severus' eyes, surprised at all the relief he saw there.

"Harry. My boy, you're awake." Albus came in quietly behind Severus and stepped to the side. "How do you feel?"

"Hot. Achy. Hurt a bit. Are you sure…baby's okay?" Harry turned his eyes to Severus again.

"Yes. Madam Pomfrey said last night he was stable." His pupil twitched just slightly as he lied.

"Liar." Harry whispered out.

"He's…unstable. Okay? But alive. That's all that counts for now." Both Severus' hands cupped his as the man leaned forward.

Albus came forward and placed a hand on Severus' shoulder as he looked gravely at Harry. "All your family and friends are here, hoping for you. Don't worry about a thing now. Just sleep."

Harry looked to the ceiling squinting pained. "But who'd…poison me? Why?"

"A blonde that's going to be deader than road kill if I get my hands on him." Ron hissed angrily.

Harry's head turned that way sharply and he winced but stared. "Draco?"

"Don't…Harry!" Severus gripped his chin and turned his face back. "Don't mind that. Okay? The baby's okay. You're okay. Everything…" Harry let his eyes shut as the pain enveloped him. Severus' voice floated away as he fell. _Draco_…

* * *

"So. How long have you been in love with him?" 

Severus paused as he climbed out of the bed he'd been bunking on the past four days for naps. He ruffled his robes and collected himself, as that wasn't a question he got asked everyday.

"What do you mean Mrs. Weasley?"

"The hovering, the protectiveness, the obvious caring. The way you stare at him when you're up for twenty out of the twenty-four hours in a day, waiting for him to wake up again." Hermione straightened out the bed he'd just climbed out of then sat on the edge. "You're in love with Harry."

"Brilliant discovery Gr…Mrs. Weasley." Severus said shortly. "I think that the only person who probably doesn't know that by now is the one who's unconscious. It even hit Hagrid yesterday." It was bloody shameful!

"Oh. I knew before. Last time Ron and I visited we talked to Harry about you. We opened his eyes to more than just the fact Draco wasn't worth his time." The woman smiled knowingly. "Harry just needed someone to point out to him you're human too."

"If you indeed did that then he took no notice." Severus said quietly, flat.

"I think he did. He just needs time. He is still recovering. Now more so than ever. I never thought he'd go this far…" She shook her head as if coming to herself. "So. How long?"

"I have impeccable timing you know. I think it was about the same time my godson decided to take interest in him. Well no. That was when I first became intrigued. When I fell in love with him would have to be while I was bending over toilets with him, rubbing his back." Severus said seriously.

"Really?" Hermione questioned dubiously.

"Honestly." Severus sat on the bed next to her and stared at Harry. "Here I was kneeling next to him watching him heave his stomach into my toilet bowl and thinking…how bloody beautiful and brave…and perfect he was."

"Well I guess everyone falls in love their own way." Hermione gave him a weak smile.

"I suppose I should be grateful to you and your husband for having come that first time myself. Your being there is also what made me realize I was in love with Harry. After you left I found myself…hoping, poised, for something." He sighed heavily. "I blame Albus for making me live with him."

"The Headmaster is a very smart man, no? He just wants what's best for both of his boys." Hermione smiled widely.

"Harry Potter will be the death of me. I always told Albus." Severus murmured quietly, almost to himself. "If he dies I will die too."

"Don't say that. Harry's not going to die." Hermione patted his shoulder hesitantly.

"Oh but I will die if he dies. I'll die trying to kill Draco Malfoy and I'll make sure he takes his last breath before I take mine." Severus replied seriously.

Hermione withdrew her hand awkwardly. "Well…Madam Pomfrey said he's probably not going to die. He's in a magical coma. It's his body's way of healing."

"And the baby?" Severus looked at her dully. "I know what she said so don't parrot it back to me. But Harry can't keep sleeping on and on like this. When he loses strength the baby does too. And if the baby dies Harry, his spirit, will die. Don't you doubt it."

"She's found another way to get food and nutrients to the baby. You need to relax! It's just a matter of waiting for Harry to wake up now."

"You don't understand!" Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay. You do know male babies are the harder to carry to term." At Hermione nod he continued. "So is the same in the wizarding world though in pureblood families they are conceived more _often_ than girls. But in male pregnancies bringing a male child to term is even harder. Unfortunately the more magical the child and parent the harder it is…_do you understand now_? Harry's magic is working to save both himself and his baby, while the baby is just trying to hold on. But the weaker Harry's magic gets, trying to do too much…the longer he stays in this coma…the weaker the _baby's_ magic gets."

Hermione stared confused. "I don't understand…I thought the magical coma was good…Harry had one in seventh year…remember? After he defeated…"

"It was okay when he was just healing himself but now a baby is depending on his magical strength too. Even though he's trying to heal the baby by going into this…withdrawl, he's hurting it in the end."

Hermione looked at Harry's body in horror. "But…but we don't know when he'll stop…"

"He'll wake up when he does. We can't force him…all we can do is keep an eye on him and the baby, both their magical signatures…and _hope_." Severus snorted.

* * *

Harry opened his eyes slowly, immediately alert. It was night, that he could tell, and everything was safe. He breathed out slowly feeling inside himself with his magic. The baby was there, woven back close to him, in its womb, with his magic. He wasn't losing his baby. 

He pushed himself up with a grunt and sat thinking.

What had happened? He'd gone to sleep after his episode in Severus' bathroom. He'd felt trapped in his body then, darkness…lost. He remembered waking again to vomit. But then he was in the hospital wing with Madam Pomfrey and she had looked so worried…he'd thought he was going to die when the pain hit again…then he'd passed out. He had woken again to pain…then Severus…and the abyss again.

He remembered from the last time he'd woken, dim memories from days in his coma when he'd heard things…to getting better now. He wasn't sure what day it was but everything was okay now and that was all that mattered.

_And Severus._

He turned his head and looked to the bed next to his to the man sleeping there. He knew Severus had at least been here a few days and had hardly left him to eat and use the bathroom much less sleep. Harry felt guilty for how haggard he looked.

Harry turned to the other side to see Hermione on the bed and Ron cramped into the chair next to her. His friends…so loyal. He could always depend on them to be there for him. He smiled and used his magic to trip Pomfrey's watch-spell.

He was rather surprised when Severus jerked to wakefulness by the squeak of his bed, before turning to him.

"Err, hi. Didn't mean to wake you." Harry wriggled into his sheets as Severus stumbled out of his bed to his side.

"Potter!" He rasped incredulously.

"Yeah." Harry whispered. "Sorry to wake y-Mm_MM_?" His eyes widened in shock as Severus crushed his lips to his and clenched his fists into his sheet. He whimpered as lips moved over his own roughly until he opened his mouth slightly. Then Severus' tongue was pushing into his mouth and he was moaning softly as his member hardened. He was just responding, tongue pushing back against Severus', when the man pulled away and he found himself arching into thin air hungrily.

"Are you okay?" Severus asked breathlessly cupping his face.

"Uuhhh," Harry's body shuddered as he dragged in a breath and Madam Pomfrey's office door opened.

"Severus! Is he awake?" She bustled over lighting torches in the wing hurriedly with her wand.

"Ugh…" Ron grunted from his chair as Hermione stirred.

Harry flushed as Severus pulled his hands away. "He's awake." He tugged on his sheets after Severus pulled them over his body. "Check the baby?"

Madam Pomfrey was nodding even as she did a magical scan and she blinked in surprise at the results. "He healed the womb. Reconnected the baby using his magic. The baby's alive." She sounded stunned.

"How…how long have I been asleep?" Harry finally gathered himself to ask.

"Eleven days." Hermione came over and sat in the chairs on the other side of his bed. "We didn't think both you and the baby would make it. How do you feel?"

"Tired. But okay." Better than okay. Harry bit his lip as he felt his face warm again. "Umm, wow. That long huh? It felt like a few days."

Ron stretched and Harry heard his back crack loudly. "Felt like a month."

"Severus explained to me about magical draining. I didn't think the baby would make it past a week with you in a coma…but it did." Hermione said, looking at Harry with a weak smile as her eyes teared up.

"You've been here a whole week?" Harry looked to Ron and Hermione.

"On and off. Madam Pomfrey's been caring for you all the time with your nutrients and potions but Severus has been here all the time. He even slept here all this time." Hermione replied quietly.

"Umm, thanks." Harry flicked his eyes to Severus, before blushing again as he wriggled on his bed. "I…I think everything's okay. I just need to…sleep some more."

Hermione looked from an awkward looking Harry to a detached Severus and shook her head. "Come on Ron. Let's go sleep in a bed. We'll see you tomorrow morning Harry."

"Would you like some Dreamless Sleep Harry?" Madam Pomfrey asked. "There's still five hours until seven when the wing opens so you can sleep well."

"No thank you I need to…umm, talk to Severus if you don't mind." Harry smiled as she nodded and left back into her office to presumably Floo back to her chambers and then turned to Severus, who was sitting in the chair next to his bed, eyes hooded.

"So…what was that for?" Harry pulled up his sheets nervously.

"What was what for?"

Harry swallowed heavily, embarrassed. That _attack_! "Err, that…sudden overflow of…like." He squeaked.

"That." Harry watched as Severus interlaced his fingers and cleared his throat exaggeratedly. "I'm sorry for, assaulting you. I was just…half asleep. Overwrought. I was very…concerned about you and your child."

"Well…I…I'm sure we…appreciated, your concern." Harry then winced flushing again. "Not that I…you know." He reddened.

"If you're going to lie so abominably at least bunch the sheets around…" Severus paused. "Lower."

"Hey!" Harry yelped pushing the sheets down. "I didn't call you out on _your_ horrible excuse! Do you just snog everyone you're worried about?"

Severus glowered. "Well then please tell me why do _you_ think I…_snogged_ you?"

Harry wriggled. "I dunno. Maybe you…that is…do you?…Like me?"

"You're almost twenty-five. Act like it." Severus said flatly.

"Well…I think, I think you like me." Harry hunkered down and flushed deeply. "You've taken really good care of me and you…protect me and you care about me and my baby a lot and…Hermione said so." He finished faintly. "Hermione's right about these sort of things. I…it only just hit me."

"So you think I…like you. Because your friend said so." Severus said coldly.

"Err, yeah. And the other stuff I told you about." Harry cowered as Severus stood and stared down. "But umm, if you do it's…okay," He flushed. "If you don't that's okay too!"

"Shut up. Stupid boy." Harry shrank back against the bed as Severus leaned over it, over him. "By now you should know how to think for yourself."

"I…I can…" He whispered out. "It's just hard to…" He gasped, lips spreading in shock at the light butterfly kiss he received. "_Think. _When _you're_…" He moaned as his bottom lip was sucked and released wetly, his whole body tingling. "…uhh…"

"When you pout you drive me crazy. When you're sweating and vomiting I think you're gorgeous…I may just be in love with you because you're fat and I'm twisted."

"_In…love_…" Harry whispered. "With me?"

* * *

"I may simply have a soft spot for pregnant men of my persuasion. A kink perhaps." Severus pulled back and turned away. "I think I'll go to my chambers and get some sleep now. I obviously need it." He rubbed his forehead roughly. 

"Wait…Severus! Don't! _Please!_ Are you…?" Severus slammed the Infirmary door behind himself and walked away from the wing.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. What the hell had possessed him to…kiss Potter? Much less tell him he loved him? He could go back inside…Obliviate it. Gods, no! Harry had stronger mind wards than he did. And besides he was recovering magically from a great ordeal, he couldn't tinker with his mind…Maybe he could say he had been joking? Or…take back the love part. He could always just tell Harry he was sexually repressed and just wanted to lay him…

Gods. Circe! Morgana! He was a fool!

He couldn't believe he'd really…He stopped climbing down the stairs of the secret passage and sat heavily on one of the steps. The man who was in love with his godson, his good looking, rich, powerful and _young_ godson, and almost Bonded to him a few months ago now knew his pathetic old Potions Master was in love with him. The same man less than a decade ago he used to call a great bat.

He'd kissed him though. Harry had kissed him back. Then again after months of forced celibacy wouldn't he jump at the first person who threw themselves at him? He was a young, virile man. Who would want someone just as young and equal to him _as_ Draco, if not Draco himself.

But he'd been so…worried! And then Harry had woken and he was fine and the baby was fine and…he'd felt like he was looking at…heaven. He'd just had to kiss him. He'd tasted of old potions but he'd responded and for a moment…

Severus sighed and laid his head on the step behind him, moving as another dug into his back.

For a moment everything had been perfect. But now there was no going back.

* * *

Harry was sitting up in his bed in the hospital wing staring into his bowl of chocolate cereal he'd begged for from Madam Pomfrey and watching the coco puffs soak up his milk as he looked on dejectedly. That was how Hermione and Ron found him around eight, about an hour after the wing had opened and he'd got the bowl. 

"Hey Harry. Why are you staring into your…uhgh." Hermione blanched as she looked into his bowl. "Okay. Why don't you get a fresh bowl and eat."

Ron sat in the chair next to Harry bed as Hermione settled in on the side Severus had been as Harry pushed away his tray with a sigh.

"After you guys left last night…I got Madam Pomfrey to leave too so I could talk to Severus."

"That's why we left. We could tell something was going on. You were all, awkward and he was really…don't care-ish. What happened?" Hermione leaned forward.

Ron interjected. "And do I want to leave now? Because you were blushing…and I do not want to know what he did that had you blushing…"

"He kissed me." Harry flushed. "I mean…_really_ kissed me. Then did it again after you all left." Harry scratched his head embarrassed.

"Is that why you were staring into your bowl like your pet died?" Ron asked wrinkling his nose.

"I don't…understand what happened! I mean…he must have had Madam Pomfrey's watch spell connected to himself so that if I tripped it he'd wake…that's why he just sprang up…and…but…" Harry groaned and covered his face with his hands. "I thought he was joking. He was saying stuff about how…_gorgeous_ I was vomiting and how my pouting drove him crazy…when he said he loved me 'cuz I was fat…I…I thought he was kidding." Harry looked up face red and eyes sad and turned hopefully to Hermione.

"Oh Merlin." Hermione covered her face. "You didn't laugh at him or something like that did you?"

"No…but I didn't…believe him." Harry's face turned appalled. "_You knew?_ It was…_true_!"

"While you were in a coma we talked a bit. Everyone talked a bit. Even _Ron_ and the Professor talked. About you. When I talked to him I decided to come clean and asked him how long he'd been in love with you." Hermione frowned. "Harry, you've got to be the densest person on Earth."

"Oh Gods. Oh Gods, Oh Gods, Oh Gods…" Harry kept muttering under his breath.

"He's been in love with you since…" Hermione cocked her head thoughtfully. "Pretty much since you came to stay with him."

"But…you don't just fall in love with someone like that! I…We hardly even _talked_ before I came back…" Harry whispered.

"Remember sixth year training?" Ron offered. Harry looked at him surprised. "Seventh year when the two of you used to spend hours in his chambers discussing Draco, you said. You liked him then remember? Said you two were _neutral friends_."

"What about it?" Harry said hesitantly, eyes turning from Ron to Hermione and back. "I'm missing something again."

"He's liked you since then you dumb twat. But you were with Draco. And then when you came to stay with him and he got to know you again…" Hermione prodded.

"Bloody hell…" He paled drastically. "He fell in love with _me_!" Harry yelped. "But Remus said…Remus said…"

"What exactly _did_ Remus say?" Hermione asked.

"That…that he and Remus did love each other," Harry's brows furrowed. "But that he was in love with…or…part of his heart…_was with someone else_…" He swallowed heavily. "Gods! It was me. He couldn't…couldn't stay with Remus because of me!"

"Don't go blaming yourself. That was Severus' decision. But yeah that's pretty much probably why he did ended it." Hermione nodded with finality.

"Hell, oh Hell." Harry muttered under his breath before looking up frantically. "Hermione! I'm not…I'm not ready for this! I like Severus…I mean, he's a good friend…been a great friend…" He shook his head violently. "But I'm not…ready to…be, in love, with anyone again yet."

"Just as long as you're not in love with Malfoy anymore I couldn't care less." Ron said lowly.

"We're not asking you to go to Severus and declare your undying love or anything like that Harry. We're just trying to open your eyes to the fact that there's someone else out there who _can_ love you. And this time really for Harry. Not the 'savior' part. Though Severus may be in love with your baby too." Hermione smiled gently. "And I'm sure he'd take good care of you both. He cares about you…more than himself. Everyone, all the staff and all that were in here, know he _likes_ you now. And _he_ can accept you come with 'attachments'."

Harry flushed. "Everyone knew but me." At Ron's nod he huffed. "Don't act all smug you bastard. You only know 'cuz Hermione told you."

"Harry." Hermione scooted onto the edge of the bed and took his hand. "Please tell me you're not still in love with Malfoy."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "I'm not. He tried to kill me…kill me and our…_my_ baby."

"From what Severus told us from Remus, who contacted him the evening, he didn't mean to have you killed. It was some sort of plan of his to kill the baby, perhaps hoping you'd run back to him. But the person he hired to do the job used basilisk venom in the chocolates and it only takes a millionth of a drop to make a person convulse and come close to dying much less how much must have been in all three of the chocolates." Hermione rattled off.

"You always were a lucky dog. In both sets of luck though, mind." Ron amended.

Harry replied quietly. "There's no way I could still be in love with him. But…I need to talk to Severus. Could you guys find him a bit later? He needs to sleep. But after that I need to talk to him and I don't think he'll come back." He finished in a whisper.

"He is a bit proud isn't he? And his ego must be bruised. But it'll all work out." Hermione hugged him then lightly. "We'll go talk to him later okay?" She let him go and stood. "You eat. We'll be back." Ron squeezed his shoulder tightly before he and Hermione left.

* * *

A/N: Well, I've decided not to email the 70+ people who wanted the unedited scene for Vanteera, but put it on my LJ for them to go read. The link is... http colon double / www dot community dot livejournal dot com slash twisted underscore torment slash. If there's nothing before the words I'm writing now, as I suspect there's not, simply go to www dot livejournal dot com and search twisted torment. It's Becca's community so I've posted it there. 

Now back to Days...#grins# hope you like!


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise. All HP characters and places belong to JK Rowling.

Chpt 10

**Days Like These**

Hermione and Ron waited until eleven to go to the Potions Masters' chambers, making time for him having slept in late, but when they knocked he didn't answer. They tried again at twelve and at one in the afternoon before they got worried. They hung around the chamber portrait for a half hour before the Potions Master finally stumbled from behind a nearby tapestry rubbing his neck.

"What do you two want." Hermione narrowed her eyes right back at him and looked him up and down.

"Did you _sleep_ in the secret passage?"

"That's none of your business." Severus sneered back, straightening his neck proudly. "Now if perhaps you'd remove yourself from in front of my door I could get inside."

"Harry asked us to come and tell you he wants you to visit him." Ron interjected.

"Inform him I'm busy. And I will be. Working the cricks from my body and getting some proper rest, as we all can't be as fresh and fit as twenty-five after being in a practical coma for a week."

"He didn't ask you to sit by him all…" Hermione elbowed Ron shortly with a glare.

"Harry told us what happened." Hermione raised her hand as the professor's face darkened and his lips twisted. "He really does want to talk to you. And perhaps if you'd get over your sensitive ego Harry could have something important to say to you."

"I don't _care_ about what Potter wants!" Hermione resisted cringing as the professor spat back at her. "Not everyone can be at the great one's beck and call and I, certainly am not. If Potter wants to see me he'll see me when he gets out of the hospital wing to move his things out of my chambers!" Severus snarled. "Now _get out of my way_!"

Hermione and Ron moved aside wincing as the wall almost vibrated behind them when the Potions Master shut the portrait.

"Maybe you shouldn't have made that comment about his ego…" Ron offered into the silence.

"You didn't help either!" Hermione glared at Ron. "He _does_ care about what Harry wants and he thinks…because of Harry's reaction to his advance that he's been rejected." Hermione crossed her arms frowning. "Hell, why does he have to be so difficult!"

They made their way back up out of the dungeons to head back up to the hospital wing to Harry, in silence, Hermione pondering. There had to be some way…some way to get Harry to reach out to Severus without him expecting something from it…from watching them together she _did_ think that he'd be very good for Harry and even Ron had to admit the man was a softie for Harry. But how to make them _do_ it…

A throat cleared nervously. "Hello."

Hermione looked up as Ron squeezed her hand and gasped. "Remus!" She lowered her voice from its surprised decibels. "Uh…what a…surprise."

Remus was standing awkwardly in the middle of the lobby off the main doors and seemed lost. "I…I came to see Harry."

"Err, you might want to not do that. He's not very…" Ron looked at Hermione who raised an eyebrow. "Happy with Draco right now and he associates Draco with…you."

Remus cringed. "You…know then."

"Uh huh." Hermione's voice was flat. "We know you weren't the root of the problem but…we thought you would have more control than that when it came to Harry."

"It was an accident. I mean…it wasn't supposed to happen! I'm so sorry…I kept trying to tell Harry but he wouldn't listen…I don't know if he's really been burning the letters but I…don't think he's even read them." Remus stuck his hands in his coat pockets and looked at the floor in shame. "Please. Can I at least talk to you and you can…tell Harry I came?"

Ron looked at Hermione who was impassive. "Well, I'm willing to listen. I know how much Harry loves you even if he was…is angry with you."

Hermione gestured to the Great Hall and Remus nodded, the three of them joining at the doors before going in.

"Did Severus do what I told him though? Did he keep Harry safe? I couldn't check since then…Draco was suspicious of me. I know, you're going to ask why I was still…why he was still coming to my house. Why I still let him. We were both outcasts! I felt like an outcast…and…he was the only one there. And that's no excuse…I'm sorry." Remus raked a hand through his straggly hair before sitting tiredly down on Gryffindor's bench. When Hermione and Ron joined him on the other side, he sighed. "I've ended it though. Since I heard what I did…he's not been."

"Well that's good at least. I'd hate to think you'd not mind sleeping with a murderer. Someone who'd kill off his own kid at that." Ron stated caustically.

Remus cringed. "I…I couldn't believe it when I heard but…I was alone with a fireplace and the first thing that popped into my head was to warn Harry…just in case…So what happened?"

Hermione raised her hand to forestall Ron. "It's been over a week. How come you haven't come before?"

"I've been waiting for news. To see if anything was happening at Hogwarts…before I came. Coming is a last resort because I know Harry doesn't want to see me. Besides, Draco's been trying to nose around for news too and I was afraid he'd try to follow me or something." Remus looked from Ron to Hermione. "So what's been happening?"

"Severus listened to you. But it was too late. The man had already got what he was sending to Harry. It was a box of poisoned chocolates. Three small ones. With basilisk venom."

Remus paled and half stood off the bench. "_Harry_…where's…what…"

"He's okay. And the baby's okay too. Miraculously." Ron added.

"Oh Gods. _How!"_ Remus fell back onto the bench. "Where is Harry? I have to see him…I've got to now!"

"He does not want to see you." Hermione frowned. "We are going to go talk to him later. We suggest you stay and we'll tell him you're here and see if he'll have you. But right now we assure you…he's not in a visiting mood for you. He only came out of a magical coma this morning after saving his baby."

"How?" Remus whispered again.

"Severus had promised Harry some chocolates for his birthday and he'd thought they were from him, that was why there being no note or card didn't bother him when he found the box. He went to Severus to thank him and found out they weren't from him. Severus checked the chocolates and they smelled liquored…to hide the poison. But…well, Severus didn't want Harry having any alcohol in his system with the baby so he made Harry vomit it up and Cleansed him. Harry had only eaten one of the chocolates. When you sent your message he realized why the chocolates had smelled the way they had and he got Harry to the hospital wing immediately. That was around six. By then time everyone got here it was ten and we just had to wait through the night. If they both made it we thought it'd be free and clear. They made it through the night but the baby…was unstable. Severus and Madam Pomfrey had been forced to give Harry the strongest Cleansing potions they had twice along with the one from before that was weak, that was still working in his body." Hermione took a breath. "They endangered the baby because they thought it was the only way to save Harry but Harry…wasn't living without his baby. He woke once to find out its status then went under for those days. He healed the womb, reconnected the babyto him and…they'restable for now."

"Harry…" Remus breathed out. "He's always through too much." He twisted his fingers, fidgeting with his hands. "Gods, and I can't believe I became a part of one of his problems…after Sirius died I was supposed to…fill his spot. Try to _help_ him. Not hurt him more…"

"Stay then." Ron said standing. "Hope he has some forgiveness left in his heart." Hermione joined him giving Remus a weighing look.

"Good luck."

* * *

After a small lunch to sate his stomach Severus decided to spend his afternoon making a difficult potion just to calm himself and not let his mind wander, which was why he was so surprised when a knock came on his workroom door, startling him.

"Whoever it is get out the same way you came in!" He scowled at his caldron and reached for the next ingredient. But whoever it was kept knocking and knocking…Severus' face darkened. It must be Potter's friends again. Albus would have announced himself then made tea and unlocked his door to bring it in or something such, with his stupid twinkling eyes. Whoever it was probably wasn't announcing themselves because they knew they'd not get his attention unless they annoyed him to hell…yes, it was Potter's friends. They were suicidal enough to come back.

But when he opened the door angrily he actually stopped in shock before opening the door wider and stepping out.

"I never took you for the suicidal type Draco." Severus said icily as Draco stepped back.

"I'm not with Remus anymore." Draco offered in a neutral tone. At Severus' snort he tried again. "I don't understand why you were so angry with me…"

"Oh that was nothing. You simply betrayed the man you were Promised to, who was carrying your child, to go bed his godfather!" Severus stepped forward threateningly. "Those two black eyes previously given were merely for the annoyance of me having to save Potter from killing us all when you riled him up. I'm _angry_ now. I want to know what the hell you're doing in my chambers!"

"I know Harry's staying with you. I came to see him." Draco grated out finally.

"Well, you can turn right back around and Floo home to your empty house because he doesn't want to see _you_! And I shut the manor off the Floo connection." Severus' eyes narrowed.

"But not Grimmauld." Draco replied smugly. "And I'd prefer if I could see Harry myself. What are you now, his keeper?"

"Draco," Severus hissed lowly, fists clenched. "Be grateful I do not have my wand on me now. I've been more a caretaker to him than his own former fiancé has been in the past three months he's been with child! And I don't demand anything in return!"

"If I didn't know better I'd think you cared." Draco sneered lightly. "When did this sudden care for Harry spring up?"

"Since the godson I tried to change turned out to be no better than his father!" Severus shouted. "Do you want to know why you're alive now Draco! Because of me! When Narcissa didn't want you and Lucius was failing at begging her to keep your sorry life because she didn't trust him anymore after finding out he was unfaithful, who do you think convinced their dear friend to give you a chance? And it wasn't the man she was supposedly in love with."

Draco gaped before shouting. "Shut up! You don't know what…what you're talking about…my mother loved me!"

"She grew to Draco. After nine months of trying to starve herself in hopes of killing you naturally and almost a year after you were born of ignoring you. Thank Merlin you had house elves boy!" Severus spat with a spiteful smile. "Oh wait. This makes my previous statement wrong. You're not like your no-good father…you're like your attempted baby-murdering mother."

Draco paled several shades before pulling his wand with a twisted snarl. "You don't know anyth…"

Severus watched with detached satisfaction as Draco dropped his wand in favour of clutching his broken nose. He disconnected from himself and watched coldly as his hands pummeled Draco, grunting as he was hit back before sharing out some more. He finally stopped when Draco was whimpering on the floor with his bloodied face messing up his carpet.

"Get out." Severus said monotonously. "Somehow I can't bring myself to kill you like you almost killed Harry and his child. Just get out. I never want to see your face, disfigured or otherwise in my sights again. I disown you. You're below me. You're worse than grime Draco Malfoy and to the Gods, I wish I had let your mother kill you."

"I don't…need you!" Draco spat out blood crawling to the green emerald fire. He stumbled up against the mantelpiece as Severus watched, touching his split eyebrow tenderly. "You think you're ever so great and pure now but no one ever forgets the mark you used to have Snape! And you can't keep Harry from me!"

Severus smiled coldly as his step forward made Draco hurry into the fire and call out Grimmauld Place quickly. He put out his fire and cut off his Floo completely before stumbling off to get rid of his probably ruined potion and get a bath before he slept for a month.

* * *

Harry pulled nervously at his bed sheets as he waited for Hermione and Ron to bring in Remus. They had come back and told him he was there. They'd also told him about Severus' refusal to come…

He was looking down in disappointed frustration as Remus stepped into the otherwise empty wing with a small smile.

"Harry."

The green eyes looked up sharply and wavered. "Remus." Harry said flatly.

"Hello…" Remus stepped forward slowly. His smile saddened as he looked over Harry. "You look well. I…Hermione and Ron told me what happened. I tried to warn Severus in time to help. But…well anyway. You look…well."

"I'll live." Harry pushed himself up from under the sheets to prop against the headboard and pointed to a chair next to his bed. "Sit down."

"Thanks." Remus came over and sat, eyes flicking to his stomach. "How far are you now?"

"Five months, three weeks." Harry laid a hand on top of the hill of his rounded tummy. "He's fine. A bit quieter than he should be Madam Pomfrey said but I knitted him back to my body with magic so he's probably a bit…tired."

"Hermione told me Draco almost succeeded. I…I just want you to know it's over. It's definitely…I couldn't after…"

"It, shouldn't have started in the first place. And I can't believe _it_ continued after I…!" Harry bit his lip and swallowed his anger.

"I'm _sorry_. I'm sorry! I tried to explain in the letters…you burnt them. I was lonely. Since Sirius I've gone through men like…Severus was the only one who managed to last more than one month and I thought we…would last. He understood that the wolf in me couldn't…had lost its soul mate. I couldn't give myself over completely to any one person but he accepted what I gave…but after he left I just…sunk. And the full moon was in a few days when Draco had attacked me…I was…vulnerable."

Harry crossed his arms. "I can appreciate feeling left out. Cut off. Being alone. I've been alone since _before_ Draco and I ended. He'd been pulling away from me for weeks and we hadn't been intimate in almost a month. Before that he didn't want my love either…it was just sex I was giving him…I gave him because I was grateful for him Promising to me. That's how it worked. And I only realize looking back because I thought that was how love was supposed to be. When you were grateful…when you cared…you gave it up." Harry laughed dryly. "That's how Draco taught me. So what did he teach you hmm?"

"To submit." Remus whispered. "Never the wolf. He's made the Wolfsbane occasionally for me. The other nights I was in the basement. He never had sex with me around that time again. But for the rest of each month…"

"He made you vulnerable again. Instead of leaving him behind in the first place and locking him out of your house or leaving there to come here to wait for me to cool off you stayed there with him and let him manipulate you just like he always did to me. And you saw what he did to me, what he's done!"

"All I can say is I'm sorry. Harry…I don't know what else I can do…" Remus beseeched him, reaching out but Harry moved his hand.

"Thank you for warning Severus in time so he could save me and my child. That's all I can offer you right now…I have my own problems to work out…"

"How…how is Severus?" Remus asked haltingly. "I haven't talked to him…properly, since…"

Harry's breath hitched as he looked away. "He's okay." Remus bit his lip.

"Has he been seeing anyone since…you came to stay with him?"

"No. But he's moved on. And I doubt he's looking back Remus." Harry turned back and frowned at his godfather. "Do you still…?"

"Not…quite. I miss him. I miss what we had and he was surprisingly good for me. He'd be good for anyone he loved." Remus smiled at Harry. "He loves completely or not at all. Which is why I didn't last. When Severus loves someone completely who will love him back completely…Harry, they'll know what love is supposed to be."

"Remus," Harry flushed. "Please. I know that Severus is in love with me. I don't need you hinting at it too. You're even less subtle than Hermione."

"Did he tell you then?" Remus watched Harry carefully.

"In a way. Yes. But I don't love him and I'm not going to use him. When I get out of here I have to go talk to him, explain. Last we talked was when he…sort of told me, and we didn't end on good terms. I've got problems myself see?" Harry laughed softly. "I care about Severus a lot because of how good he's been to me the past few months. He's been…what a partner should be. And I honestly do _like_ him. He has some qualities I wouldn't mind in a lover myself!" Harry lowered his flushed face. "With time who knows what could happen but I need to talk to him! To tell him I'm just not ready yet. I may not be in love with Draco anymore but it still hurts. And I can't go into a relationship to try to love someone else while I'm still stinging."

"I guess. He's just always waiting. It seems that way to me, it must to him."

"I'm sorry I can't be what he wants right now after all he's done for me. But in helping me he also made me see that trying too hard to be what he may want of me is what's wrong. That's what I did with Draco."

"And Severus wouldn't take you like that anyway." Remus smiled sadly. "He wants you truly. Maybe one day you'll see." He stood clearing his throat. "I think I'm going to go to Albus and see if I can't stay here for a while. If you want though I can try to go talk to Severus…"

"I dunno if that'd be a good idea." Harry said quietly. "But do it at your own risk. Ron and Hermione left him in a not-so-good mood."

"He should hear what you have to say."

* * *

He'd been determined to just stay in his rooms all day but people kept coming by and knocking and calling for him. Albus had been. So had Harry's friends. It seemed Remus was in the castle as he'd been too and someone else was outside now as he tried to stare valiantly at the line in his Potions book he was trying to read. But they wouldn't bloody stop knocking…

"Would you bloody idiots just…!" The words died in his throat as Harry's green eyes blinked back at him before widening in concern.

"Did you fall or something?" His hand almost went to the cut by his eyebrow and the bruises around before he realized.

Severus narrowed his eyes back. "It is nothing. I see you're out of the hospital wing. I suppose you've come to get your things."

"I wasn't planning on leaving but if you want me to…" Harry said quietly. "Can I come in then?"

Severus stepped aside curtly and shut the portrait behind Harry who was fidgeting next to the doorway. "You may sit."

Harry looked at the spot where the chair Severus had conjured for him so long ago had been before settling on the couch, pulling on his shirt hem. "I…wanted to talk to you."

"Yes. Several people dropped by to _summon_ me." Severus' lips twisted.

"Oh don't start that." The green eyes flashed angrily. "You stormed out of the wing before I could talk to you. I didn't know! You surprised me…I thought you were kidding…I didn't truly believe you'd be…in love with me because Remus had told me there was someone else."

Severus paused. "You couldn't believe that it would be…impossible for someone to love you?" His tone was incredulous as he watched Harry stroke his stomach absentmindedly.

"Actually yes. Most people love me for the wrong reasons too but I should have known better with you because you hate my celebrity status." Harry looked up with a crooked grin. "And I thought Draco did but he just loved that he owned me because I loved him." The dark brows frowned. "I talked to Hermione yesterday morning and she explained to me. I'm sorry…sorry I didn't believe you but I didn't know it was… me."

Severus waited as the silence stretched before finally speaking tightly. "So why are you here?"

"To explain." Harry said faintly as he looked down at his stomach with a blush. Severus blanked his face and crushed his emotions down as his heart sank slowly. "I appreciate everything you've done for me so much you will never know, no matter how much I thank you. And I do, thank you. Every day now for making me have to be strong and not letting me crawl back to Draco. Even if you were hard in the way you did it." Harry looked up firmly. "But even though I'm not in love with Draco, don't love him anymore, the past still hurts and it doesn't leave that quickly. I couldn't commit myself fully to you and I wouldn't enter a relationship unless I could. Severus I care about you too much to use you or to take advantage of how you feel about me to…"

"Please stop. Just say no, you don't love me, sorry, pack your things and get out. I don't need all the excuses and you don't have to give me anything, fluffy words included, in return for the care…I don't want pity. And I'd like as little of the ridicule as possible out of the arse I've made of myself."

"I don't pity you…" Harry started but Severus cut him off as he stood and summoned a house elf.

"Would you pack the things in that bedroom and have the cases by the door? Immediately please." Severus turned back to Harry. "The elf will have you ready to go in a few minutes. And you can go before your heart breaks from the sorrow…"

"Severus…please! What if…I just asked for time…time to see if…"

"More time for me to wait and all the more time for pity to build up for people to shower on me when you find someone else younger and prettier to be your _partner_!" Severus snarled pointing to the door. Harry spotted his bruised knuckles worriedly. "And if you don't feel pity for me why make such a ridiculous offer that you can't possibly _promise_ on…"

"Because I'm not sorry for you but I am sorry!" Harry stood suddenly wobbling and shouted. "I'm sorry that I can't be madly, passionately in love with you because you do have a lot to offer to someone! And from living with you I know you have the capacity to love…greatly, looking back…but I just don't…_feel it_."

"There's other kinds of love Potter." Severus turned away. "I want you gone. I feel like there's a carrot dangling in front of my face every bloody day and it's not mine to have…so just go!"

He didn't watch as Harry walked to the door and left quietly but after the elf packed he looked at the colorful room he'd created for him and vanished the colors quickly before stepping out and watching as the extra chambers melted away. He should have bloody done this, months ago, when he'd started to love him…

* * *

A/N: Destiny is calling me! Open up my eagle eyyyyyyes! Cuz I'm Mr. Brightside! #stops singing and looks out at the people watching her#...err, oh. Hi. Umm, yeah, an update's here.#Has nothing to say, scurries away#


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise. All HP characters and places belong to JK Rowling.

Chpt 11

**Days Like These**

Harry waved dully to Severus' door portrait that he'd got to know before turning away to trudge back upstairs. Another elf could bring his stuff from Severus' door to wherever he'd be now. The fact he didn't have anywhere new to stay yet was why he had to go see Albus.

And he had to take the long way because he didn't think he could go up those circular stairs safely in his shape, or condition. He blinked his welled eyes and wiped away the forced tears quickly. He didn't have anything to feel sorry for…he'd tried to explain…he had a reason why he couldn't…and you couldn't force someone to love you!

_There's other kinds of love…_

What did he mean by that? Love was love…and if he didn't feel it…there was no way he could be made to. And he cared about Severus too much to pretend to feel what he didn't.

By the time he made it to Albus' office he felt a little better and knocked on the door lightly.

"Come in." Harry smiled as he stuck his head into Albus' office.

"Hi." He stepped inside and shut the door behind him before heading for an armchair.

"Ah. Come to ask for a new place to stay." Harry cringed. "Don't worry we couldn't hear from up here. Hermione told me you might be in need so…they are connected to your classroom on the seventh floor with the hospital wing."

"Oh. Thanks." Harry smiled slightly. "Severus and I just had a horrible fight."

"He's just a bit hurt right now. You didn't mean it though and he's more sensitive than he likes to think. Besides what with Draco having visited him yesterday he can't have been in a good mood."

"Draco was here?" Harry paled and almost pushed back up out of his chair before the Headmaster stopped him. "Did Severus…that's why he was hurt!"

"Mr. Malfoy is still alive. His face I'd say is very battered but he's alive. So don't worry Severus won't be on murder charges."

Harry relaxed back into his chair slowly. "He could still be charged with assault."

"Well considering he asked Mister Malfoy to leave more than once before taking action against someone trespassing…" Albus shrugged with a twinkling smile.

"Okay." Harry sighed then smiled weakly. "Can you show me to my rooms?"

"But of course." Albus stood and swept from behind his desk. "Very nice chambers. A high view over the lake and forest. I thought you'd prefer that to the Quidditch pitch actually."

"You know me well." Harry followed him down the corridor with a laugh.

Hermione was hanging around the hospital wing as they passed and joined Harry on the way to his new quarters. "I'm sorry things didn't work out."

"I tried. That's all I could do." Harry smiled weakly.

"Here we are. Call an elf to bring your things and you can decorate as you wish. I'm going to head back to my office." Albus smiled cheerily and left.

"Well. Come in to my…empty rooms." Harry said opening the bare chamber wall and looking around the large space. "I hope you'll help me decorate."

"But of course." Hermione started conjuring and Harry started pulling around, since he wasn't supposed to be doing much to any magic. He stopped when she conjured a squishy replica of the chair he'd gotten from Severus and smiled weakly, pulling it towards the fire.

"Thanks. Do a leather one and you can sit across from me and talk…"

"Like Severus did?"

"It was fun." Harry said quietly, sighing as he flopped and sank into his chair. "We can do the rest later. I'm tired already."

"And we've only done the living room." Hermione laughed. "I'll get Ron and Remus perhaps to come in and help this afternoon. But you can talk to me now. Did it go that wrong?"

"Yes." Harry sighed. "He thought I pitied him and was trying to make excuses while I was trying to explain…it didn't really end angrily…but it was just…confusing…and sad. I don't love him like how I loved Draco. You know, when we were finally together when everyone knew, how…explosive I felt? I mean, that what being in love means to me. It's free and impulsive and all consuming…Severus said there's other kinds of love…but I don't understand what he means."

"There are Harry. The way you loved Draco was one way. It's a wildfire, a brightly burning nova that has all of your emotions in that time. But look at me and Ron. We have something that's both that and a content, quiet, 'just-there' kind of love. Severus seems to me the type for the latter. A nice, quiet, companionship kind of love more than an inferno. Because that kind of love lasts for ages…novas fizzle out Harry."

Harry blinked at Hermione. "Is it really possible to love like that?"

"I know it is." She smiled. "See how you survive without chats with Severus and quiet dinners together and silly or informative discussions by the fire and see for yourself…"

Harry flushed. "Do you think I'm in love with Severus like that?"

"I can't tell you if you are Harry. You'll find out for yourself." Hermione snapped her fingers and turned to the elf that came, asking it to bring Harry's things. She turned back to him after. "You stay here and relax. I'll sort out everything."

* * *

That day passed in relaxation as no one let him get off his feet to help arrange his place but he didn't care about it as he felt sapped himself. The next day though he was bored however, sitting in his rooms all day with friends dropping by and only a book for company. Damn, he did miss Severus. He didn't necessarily listen to Harry's chatter but he'd at least hum or look at him once in a while.

He didn't even realize it was his birthday the day after until Hermione and Ron surprised him with a couple of house elves outside the door, early in the morning with a tray of everything he loved for breakfast. And dessert. The rest of the day sped by happily with him moving around the next two lower levels with Albus and Minerva and some other teachers that were beginning to return as the next year drew closer and Ron and Hermione entertaining him in his room. By evening there was a small party taking place in his rooms, with Remus, Hagrid, Madam Pomfrey, Ron and Hermione and their kids, Fred and George and Arthur and Molly and Albus and Minerva…okay, a big party. A few other teachers trickled in and out and Harry found himself looking around hopefully until Hermione elbowed him and shook her head.

"If you're looking for him…he's not coming."

"Did you talk to him?" Harry asked quietly leaning into her on the couch to be heard over the music and chatter.

"Sort of. He said he promised you something…" Hermione stood up and walked over to the pile of presents on his kitchen table and picked out one he'd seen her bring in. He took the flat box with a sigh and opened it, tossing the top and pulling back the wax paper to reveal a slab of Honeyduke's finest.

"He never breaks a promise." Harry murmured softly.

* * *

The next month passed quickly for him, brewing enough potions to keep the Infirmary restocked twice over, fiddling with some new potions he'd invented, preparing next year's speeches and pop-quizzes and tests and lesson plans and in general doing things to make himself forget about Potter.

He'd seen him once or twice wandering around the castle alone and once out by the lake when he'd been returning from the greenhouses with some ingredients. He looked even more adora…hugely, pregnant than he had before but pale-faced from lack of sunlight, being inside all the time, he presumed. But he wasn't Potter's caretaker anymore and he didn't have to care.

But he couldn't have been the only one worried as he watched Harry pick despondently at his dinner on the night of the Welcoming Feast, after spending half the time before fidgeting as if waiting for dinner and smiling glassily as he was introduced as the year's Defense teacher. He even turned down chocolate eclairs, which had Severus tapping his foot nervously under the table. Potter would _never_ turn down chocolates.

He watched a wraith-like Potter leave the Feast early through his side door and gritted his teeth as he decided to talk to Albus after the Feast. He didn't know why he was surprised to find the man waiting in the hall way for him after all the kids had left.

"I can't believe you're actually letting Potter work with the way he looks!" Severus hissed under his breath.

"The kids aren't distracted by his condition. Or do you mean how drawn he looks?" Albus said moving towards the dungeons with him.

"You know which I mean!" Severus snapped. "He'll be sapping all of his energy dealing with those children everyday! And I still say it's too dangerous! Why isn't he eating properly! He doesn't look like he's being sleeping properly either and for Morgana's sake, he needs some sunlight!"

Albus twinkled suddenly. "That last comment was rather pot calling the kettle black Severus. But if you want answers to the other things I suggest you talk to Harry. Not me. He's been like that since his friends left. He's probably lonely."

The Headmaster turned back leaving Severus at the stairs on his dungeons gaping helplessly. Bloody twinkling long-bearded…he turned a dark scowl on a lagging student and followed them down the corridor to the common room. He wouldn't go…crawling back to Potter like some…_love sick_ puppy…!

He made it through three days of watching Harry struggle up and down the stairs every morning, lunch and evening for meals before waylaying him the third evening as he started up.

"Potter…" Severus grated out lowly. He almost gasped at the same time Harry did when he turned to him. He looked like a bloody green-eyed panda with giant rings around his eyes.

"Severus!" He cringed. Didn't this man have any idea of the guidelines of secrecy! Like _whispering_!

"Come with me. We need to talk." He took Harry's arm gently and led him back down to the dungeons carefully, making sure no one saw as he shuttled him into his chambers before shutting the door quietly. He turned to the waiting man and pulled his wand, conjuring back Harry's chair. "Sit."

Harry blinked at him then looked at the chair before looking back at him. "What's this about?"

"You. Only you. Don't get any ideas." Severus snapped. "Sit."

Harry looked at him carefully before sinking into the chair and letting out a happy sigh.

"Gods, I don't think I was going to make it back upstairs." He said faintly leaning his head back.

"I want to know why you're killing yourself going up and down for meals. You can just call an elf to your rooms."

"Yes. Then I'd be in there all day except for classes. And I wouldn't be seen weekends at all." Harry lifted his head and looked at Severus. "I feel awkward going to the staff room to just sit around in the free periods I have so I just go back to my rooms. But I can't be cramped in there all day. It's boring. I'm lone…well alone."

"Then choose trips more carefully. Come down to breakfast once or twice during the week, days you don't come to breakfast come to lunch and every other evening to dinner. How hard can that be instead of running yourself down!" Severus paced in front of him agitated.

"I'm lonely." Harry whispered. "I can't stay in that room all day."

"Then go to the staff room! It's only one level down. Drink tea with Minerva." He looked down to catch Harry staring at him hopefully. "What?"

"Do you ever go to the staff room?"

"No." Severus scoffed.

"There then. There's no one there to talk to." Harry replied. Severus paused and shook his head before moving on.

"You aren't eating and sleeping properly. And you need to go outside at least once a week for a few hours."

"Been watching me?" Harry quipped before he burst out laughing. "And please…don't make me laugh so hard when I'm this pregnant!"

"What, pray tell, is so funny?" Severus said glaring darkly. "And everyone's been watching you _not_ eat!"

"You…telling me _I_ need sun." Harry snickered, wrapping an arm around his stomach. "Gods, now you're giving me a stitch." He hiccuped and giggled again making him scowl.

"I'm supposed to be pale…you are not." Severus kneeled next to the chair and moved Harry's arms firmly. He spoke over his spluttering. "You should not be Defense teacher. I told you this job would run you down." He pressed his hands against the sides of Harry's stomach before rubbing gently towards his back. "But do you listen to me? Of course not…you know what you want to do even if it's going to endanger your life, not to mention your baby's…"

Harry jerked suddenly in the chair, startling him in turn to snatch his hands away.

"What! What? Did I hurt you…?" Harry was looking down at him confusedly, wide eyes blinking.

"I thought…thought I felt the baby move." His voice sounded disappointed. "Maybe you just pushed something."

"Hasn't it moved before?" Severus asked sharply. "You're starting your seventh month. The baby should be moving by now."

"I know but Madam Pomfrey thought I might have bound it by mistake when I was trying to save it. It hasn't been…active." Harry swallowed. "I hope it moves soon…she's been worried something might be wrong with it she can't tell…or it could be…"

"It's not dead." Severus said shortly. "A magical scan might not be able to tell if something was wrong with it metaphysically but if it's breathing the scan will say so."

"Then it's been really quiet…" Harry lowered his eyes and looked away.

"It's not dead." He found himself trying to reassure Potter. Hadn't he brought him here to chew him out? He sighed and started to rub his sides again. It was the big green eyes. All Potter had to do was bat his eyelashes a few times and…

"Huh!" Harry's body jerked again and he had almost pulled away before Harry clasped his hands. "Don't! Please…don't stop. I think…I really think it moved." A small smile unfurled on Harry's face as he replaced his hands reluctantly.

He watched as Harry giggled for no reason a few times, looking from his fireplace to laugh at him. "Oh yeah. It's moving." He laughed again. "I've got to go upstairs…to Madam Pom_frey_…" Harry's breath hitched.

"I'm coming with you." He was up and helping Harry out of the chair before he could try. "I can't believe this is the first time the baby's moved…"

It was a slow thirty minutes up to the hospital wing as the baby seemed to have learnt to move on it's own and Harry spent a few relieved minutes laughing against various walls.

"Hell, I don't think I've felt this good since…I don't know!" Harry was leant against Severus as he stumbled them down the corridor to the hospital wing. "My baby's moving!"

"It's been for the past half hour Harry." Severus muttered. "Now please move your bloody feet. You feel like dead weight!"

Harry bit his lip with a smile. "Sorry." He pushed away gently and helped Severus get him down the corridor before pushing open the wing doors.

"Do I want to know why you're…Severus!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed and he scowled.

"Please, if I've become popular someone Avada me."

Harry looked at him with a raised eyebrow before turning to Madam Pomfrey. "Poppy…the baby moved!"

"Really?" She shuttled him over to a bed. "Lie down and let me check it."

Severus paced by, twiddling his thumbs and looking over as she and Harry chatted together over the scan. He finally threw himself into a chair and stretched his legs lazily as they kept going on and on. About an hour later Harry finally sat up with a grin and turned to him.

"Poppy said your massage probably stimulated him to move." Harry pushed off the bed. "Why didn't we think of that?"

"Because you're both chattering twits." Severus muttered under his breath.

"Anyway, I need to get to bed…" Harry stopped by Severus' chair and waited for him to get up. "Would you like a cup of tea? I'm just next door. Well, two doors down actually."

Severus sighed, put-upon. "I may as well. I wasn't done talking to you."

"Ah." Harry quipped. "Come then."

* * *

"So what else is there you have to," Harry patted his moving stomach lightly, heading to the fridge. "Uh, talk to me about?"

Severus was sitting at his kitchen table watching him carefully as he made tea. He poured a dab of milk into each cup and added sugar to one before stirring both and bringing them to the table.

"I was serious when I said you weren't eating properly. And it doesn't look as if you're sleeping properly either."

Harry paused over his cup before heading back to the fridge. "I've been worried about the baby actually. That's why I've not been sleeping or eating properly…and I have kinda been down since my friends left…and Remus has gone back home and it seems like life's moved on again without me. Also since you stopped helping the guy from that firm's been stalling me to make me enlarge the house." Harry fretted, digging in the corners of the shelves. "Ah."

He pulled out a wrapping of wax paper and set it on the table proudly before hitting it lightly with the sugar bowl.

"You didn't eat it?" Severus looked from the chocolate slab to him. He flushed lightly under the stare.

"Well…it didn't feel right. But it's better now. Want piece?"

"How are you going to eat it hard?" An eyebrow cocked and Harry smiled proudly.

"Look…" He took a piece and dipped it in his tea for a few seconds before pulling it out and sucking on it with a grin. "Seeh?"

Severus' lips curled. "I think I'll pass."

"So yeah. That's why I've not been eating properly or sleeping much. And I've been so tired just climbing up and down stairs I've not had any inclination to go out." Harry wriggled forward on his chair and took another piece of chocolate up.

"You should be able to eat and sleep properly now. I'll talk with Mr. Stretzoph about your house," Severus lifted his teacup with a dangerous smirk. "And you will be going outside."

Harry gestured with his half melted chocolate spike. "In order to force me to go into the sun that means you'll have to go out yourself. Can you risk it what with your part vampire ancestry?"

Severus scowled. "It should simply prove to the younger years that I'm not a vampire then."

"Ah. But that'd ruin your rep." Harry nodded sagely, sucking on his chocolate.

"My reputation will survive." Severus put down his cup and stood suddenly. "I need to go."

"Mm! Wait…wait, wait." Harry licked his lips. "One more thing, can you do what you did…you know to that room in your chambers, to my bedroom?" He stood too. "Hermione tried to imitate it but it's not quite right."

Severus withdrew his wand and followed his pointed finger to the doorway of his bedroom while Harry wrapped and replaced the rest of his chocolate.

"It's done." Harry turned to see Severus at the doorway to his suite. "Eat breakfast up here tomorrow and I will…come up to the staff room for lunch." Harry smiled as Severus sneered disgusted. "I'll come to help you down to dinner."

"Great." Harry smiled. "I missed…I missed being your friend."

Severus nodded sharply. "Goodnight."

* * *

Severus opened the door to the staff room and edged inside against the wall before sitting on the far end of the table wearing a scowl. Flitwick was in there blinking at him in surprise while Minerva looked over the paper while drinking her tea.

"What ever are you…" Severus cringed at Flitwick's squeaky voice and cursed him internally for attracting Minerva's attention just as Potter came in.

"Kids are beasts! I'm almost wishing I took your advice." Harry sighed as he, something between wobbling and stumbling, came in and plopped down with his wrapped chocolate in the chair next to Severus'. He snapped his fingers and an elf popped in to ask what he wanted. "What do you want Severus?"

He scowled at Minerva. "Nothing."

"Okay." Harry said cheerfully. "Severus wants…a grilled cheese sandwich and umm, no chocolate right?…uhh, a treacle tart. With a glass of…butterbeer." He finished in a grin.

"Exchange the treacle tart for a slice of ham on that sandwich." He changed. Harry shrugged.

"I'll take his tart. And I want a…ohh, I feel like a pizza." Harry's mouth turned down suddenly and his lower lip stuck out.

"Oh Gods." Severus muttered under his breath.

"What is pete za?" The house elf looked confused.

"Listen carefully. Get two slices of bread and spread some tomato paste on one. Then melt some cheese on top. Some pineapple, pepperoni and mincemeat on top of that and then grill it in the oven for ten minutes. Stick the other bread on top and bring it up." Severus rattled off. Flitwick and Minerva stared, as Harry nodded smiling suddenly.

"That'll have to do. And I want a butterbeer too. Do you have all that?"

The elf popped out with a nod and Harry turned to Severus. "It's a good short term alternative but when I live in Godric's Hollow I have to be able to get pizza delivery people in. Or I'll die."

"With the kinds of spells we're putting on the house you'll have to change pizza places every month. What with drivers forgetting where your house is after they leave and money appearing they don't know where from." Severus pointedly ignored the eyes he could feel on him and talked to Harry. "And what did the brats do today?"

"Oh, do not get me started!" Harry moaned. "A first year Gryffindor got it into his head to skip some chapters and try out a spell in his book…" Harry was still talking when the food came and kept going between bites with Severus nodded along, half-listening. "…so horrible when _I_ was a fourth year! Then again I was busy that year so I didn't really have time to cause trouble…" Here Severus inserted his snort. "Hey, trouble came looking for me! So yeah, this other smart Gryffindor gets in his head…"

"Do you realize it's all Gryffindors that have been giving you trouble?"

"They just want to show off for me." Harry licked some tomato paste off his fingers making him twitch in his seat. "I think it's sweet."

"It's sweet huh? What'd he do to the classroom?" Severus arched an eyebrow as Harry blushed and muttered.

"Burnt the curtains. Professor Flitwick, I borrowed your pronunciation speech. They needed it. Desperately." Harry shuddered. "But apart from the panic about the burning curtains and a small jinx match between two boys…it was all good."

Severus stared blankly. "Told you."

Harry sighed biting into his treacle. "Yeah. Yeah." He pushed forward his wrapping paper. "Chocolate?"

"No thank you."

"What some err, Minerva?" Harry asked awkwardly. "Filius?"

"No thank you." They chorused together, both watching the spectacle. Harry shrugged.

"More for me." Harry nibbled on some chocolate happily while he sat back and stared around bored.

"How did you sleep last night?"

"Mm? Mmm…" Harry swallowed. "Good. Like a log. Pillows under the back to help me get up. But I tend to want to sleep on my side. It's bloody awkward being pregnant." Harry shook his head. "Men don't appreciate women enough."

Minerva suddenly shot Harry a bright smile and came over. "That is so true…" Severus cringed moving slightly away from the table in his chair as Flitwick suddenly hurried out.

I can't believe you started her up Potter. He shook his head as he watched Harry flounder under her onslaught of feminism and stood.

"Thank you for lunch Harry but I have a class right after…Have fun." He almost grinned with the evilness of leaving Harry there with Minerva in battle mode but settled for a small sneer as Harry's face went appalled.

He left just before the pout could be armed and heard his name squeaked as the door shut. The rest of his afternoon went well with children cowering under his sudden threatening smiles. He finished up his last class of the week by wishing the kids good luck and resisted an evil chuckle as several scrambled over each other to get out. Oh, life was good. He found himself back in his chambers preparing for dinner before he headed up to Harry's chambers.

He came in after Harry called for him to come and sat watching the fire on the couch.

"Hey. Sorry about that. Did you do something to your hair? It looks…fuller." Harry paused with his head cocked before shrugging. "Gods it's really getting embarrassing trying to find dress shirts that still fit me, even with enlargement charms." Harry pulled his robes over his clothes and clasped them shut. "Okay I'm…we're hungry." Harry rubbed his stomach.

"He's moving?"

"Yeah. He has when you've not been here." Harry smiled. "Was worried he only liked yours hands or something."

"And what would be wrong with that?" He raised an eyebrow at Harry's blush and waited. "Well?"

"Nothing." Harry kept his eyes on the floor. "I just might not be able to promise him…well, your hands on my body…but anyway let's go to dinner!" Harry's cheeks reddened.

"You don't have to promise him anything yet." Severus said evenly. The silence was heavy as Harry read into his double entendre, or he hoped he did, before Harry cleared his throat.

"I'd just rather he didn't have any expectations. For now." Harry lifted his eyes to meet his before wobbling adorably to the door. Somehow though, as he followed Harry out, the prospects seemed much better than they had last month.

* * *

A/N: Awwwwwwwww.

Everyone say it with me! AWWWWW! gooooood. Isn't it sweet?lol


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise. All HP characters and places belong to JK Rowling.

Chpt 12

**Days Like These**

"You do know that I appreciate your opinion a lot right?" Harry fidgeted as he turned to Severus who was sitting next to him by the lake, with his back to the rock facing the school instead of the water. Since last week this was the fifth time he'd been outside, more times than he'd planned. But somehow it didn't seem so tiring with Severus there.

"Hmm."

"Well the reason why I didn't listen to you about the D.A.D.A job was because I love it. Like how you love Potions. I want to teach it because…the times of Voldemort may be done but who's to say a new Dark Lord won't rise…after I'm dead." Harry joked.

Severus' lip curled upward. "Please Potter. If the 'Dark Lord', were a proper one he'd challenge you while you were alive. If he's actually scared enough of you to rise after you were dead the Ministry could probably handle him. A bottle of super glue could."

Harry snickered throwing a rock out on the water. "You think a bottle of super glue is more capable than the Ministry at…_keeping things together?_" He burst out laughing suddenly.

"That was ridiculously corny."

"Yeah? Then why are you laughing?" Harry snickered again. "And don't say you're not. There's a list of lip curls. A few are the 'you aren't worthy to lick my boots' curl, the 'that has got to be the most pathetic thing I've ever seen' curl, my favorite, 'dare I say you're worse than Potter' curl, poor Neville got that one a lot and lastly the 'I will not laugh so my lip will twitch' curl.

Severus arched an eyebrow and shook his head gently.

"That! That's a new one. Or it could go under the last category." Harry rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

They were quiet for a few minutes before Harry spoke up again.

"Can I ask you something…personal?"

"Yes. Though there's no guarantee I'll answer." Harry looked over Severus' profile as he continued to eye the school grounds behind him.

"Why did you…well I mean it's not like it's something you can control, _I_ know you can't. But why did you fall in love with me?"

Severus' head snapped around. "What?"

Harry cringed. "It's just a question. I mean…I wondered. I thought you and Remus were great together. And there must be a ton of other people with something you'd prefer more than…me."

"Well firstly I'm gay so the field of 'ton of other people' was just drastically narrowed. Secondly, is your self-esteem really so low you can't see what you have to offer?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't see myself as such a great catch. Draco says it's because I don't try but if you have to try so hard, _are you really_?"

"It's not just about beauty Harry. You are beautiful but you're also smart, ambitious, brave, generous, loving, faithful, trustworthy, funny at times and all anyone could want. I don't know how you can't see that in yourself when so many other people see it in you. Yes, there are a few people who will only see 'Defeater of Voldemort' in there but they are rather narrow-minded." Severus tilted his head. "The beauty is just a bonus. For me," Harry went breathless as Severus leaned into him. "It's your gorgeous green eyes. The windows to your soul…"

Harry was poised, expecting to be kissed, which was why it was such a surprise when gentle fingers just caressed his cheek lightly. He blinked before drawing in a deep breath.

"Oh. Okay." He swallowed and cleared his throat. "Umm, one more question. Why didn't you just kiss me?"

A black eyebrow rose. "No expectations."

"Okay. Well I was expecting it." Harry said back faintly.

"I don't assume things." Severus leaned back, a smirk playing on his lips. "Would you like to be kissed?"

Harry cocked his head, first this way then that. "If I say yes you'll expect things of me then." A shoulder shrugged. "If I say no…I don't get kissed." Severus snorted. "So…yes? Just one _little_ kiss." Harry whispered as Severus leaned into him again.

At first it was just a brush of lips together and then Harry pressed forward slightly until Severus' tongue traced his lips. It sent a shiver down his spine and with a tiny moan Harry spread his lips and offered his mouth. Then he remembered what love was like. He burned as Severus pressed forward with a groan and his cock stiffened to aching arousal as a tongue sliced through his mouth, tasting out every dip and contour slowly. By the time he broke away to breath, he was throbbing pleasantly and long fingers were working at the nape of his neck as Severus' lips released his.

"Was that a little kiss?" Harry hitched out. Severus licked his lips and released his neck with another squeeze.

"That was a bit more than I meant to give. I'm sorry. About…" He flicked his eyes down.

Harry flushed. "I may be pregnant but my hands still work. I'll live. Besides I asked for it." He leaned forward and kissed Severus' cheek lightly. "Thank you."

"Thank _you_."

It was good enough to be starting with. And it could have kept him for a long while if needed, the promise that time could make more develop between them. Unfortunately, time was not offered.

* * *

The whole school had just sat to dinner and Harry was further up the table between Albus and Minerva as she talked to him while he scowled at Slytherins on his end of the table, when Albus sat up stiffly all of a sudden and stood. He was almost to the doors when they opened and a strange wizard stood there with his hooded counterpart.

"Albus Dumbledore. I am on official magical business within your halls and if you attempt to stop me you will be subpoenaed for obstruction of the law."

He didn't hear Albus' reply but he figured it was a request to know why the man was there as he was replied to curtly.

"It's private."

Everyone in the hall must have been watching in confusion as Albus stepped aside reluctantly and the two persons made their way into the hall. They walked quietly in the dead silence of the Great Hall between the two center tables and to his sudden misgivings, kept for the Head Table. He looked down the table to Harry who was looking back and forth in dazed confusion as the men turned and marched down the table to him before stopping in front of his spot.

"Uh…do we need to go somewhere and talk?" Harry asked quietly to the man, the words barely carrying down the table to him.

"That's not necessary Mr. Potter. My name is Mr. Atherly Hicksons from Hicksons and Sons Solicitors Law Firm." Severus pushed away from the table sharply and stood as the kids in the room started to hum. "I've come to serve you so you know of the action being taken against you by Mr. Draco Malfoy. These are your papers," The man reached into his robe pocket and brought out a crisp scroll of parchment, which he placed before Harry, who seemed frozen. "Your court date is on…"

"Excuse me, you must be mistaken." Severus pulled up next to Harry. "Mr. Potter has done nothing to Mister Malfoy to warrant a serving of any kind."

"Violent action was taken against my client…"

"Ah." Severus interjected with a sharp smile. "Then you must be looking for me, not Mister Potter. Are you sure you've got the names right?"

"Quite sure." Severus turned his eyes to the hooded man who had spoken. A smirk flashed under the hood before it lowered to reveal Draco Malfoy. "You may have been the one to have…discharged me from the grounds so violently, but my charges are not assault."

"Draco Malfoy, what part of you're not welcome in this castle don't you understand? The 'get out' or the part where I break your nose again?" Severus bristled pushing forward against the table. Harry stepped back further behind him.

"Wait…" Severus ignored Harry's voice and leaned into Draco's face.

"If you have a problem with me Draco, deal with it with the right person." He hissed.

"I am picking it with the right person Severus." Draco smiled back coldly. "Perhaps if you'd move and let Harry read his scroll. You _are_ awfully overprotective of someone's who's just a house guest." He drawled.

"Draco don't doubt I will hex you up and down this Hall with all these witnesses to see. It's nothing less than what you deserve, you arrogant…"

"Severus please!" Harry finally cried from behind him, pushing forward. He looked behind him and stepped aside as Harry pushed him in the back again. He looked over his shoulder as Harry picked up the scroll and unrolled it to read.

His face darkened with anger as he read but Harry beat him to speaking.

"You…you want custody of my baby?" Harry whispered, appalled.

"Our child." Draco said offhandedly waving a hand. "It's not safe, him possibly growing up in an environment full of…unstable and violent people. So I'll have to take him to keep him safe." The sharp smile looked dangerous making Severus step forward again.

"You've got some bloody nerve, coming in here when you know dinner underway, to serve Harry such ridiculous…you don't want this child! You just want to cause him strife! You questioned whether he was even yours! You tried to kill…!"

Harry interjected quietly. "You don't have a case Draco. All I have to do is stand up in front of that court and tell them that you stated 'I disown it', meaning _my_ child, in front of two other wizards in our presence. If you now for some reason believe this child to be yours…" Harry sneered weakly here. "I have the pleasure to inform you it's not."

"In front of a werewolf and a former Death Eater." Draco sneered back. "They will look like such star witnesses in court."

"They are both heroes from the war against Voldemort! And if you dare take this to court I _will_ bring up you trying to have me killed!" Harry's voice started to raise with an edge of hysteria.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Draco waved a hand to silence his lawyer who had stepped forward. "If perhaps you mean at Grimmauld Place when you almost blew the house apart...it's not my fault you can't control your magic when you're angry. All the more reason to take this child from you to make sure it stays safe."

"You are…" Severus pulled his wand with a snarl to have Minerva grab his arm and Harry look back worriedly before turning back to Draco.

"Why are you doing this?" Harry's voice shook slightly as he questioned Draco. "You don't want this baby so why are you doing this?"

"Maybe I've seen the error of my ways." Draco said spreading his hands. "You know, on deep reflection I realized you would have never had the nerve to have cheated on me…so the baby must be mine as there was no man before and I assume, after me." Here he shot Severus a smile, making his face darken. "So I just want to protect my heir. Don't worry," Draco took a step back. "He will grow knowing his 'daddy' was once a great man before such people as the Dumbledores and Snapes of the world corrupted him. Or perhaps he'll just not know he has a father and a daddy too." Draco shrugged. "I've not decided yet. But I'll let you all here have the honour of being the first to know of my upcoming nuptials to Pansy Parkinson. She'll make a great mother won't she Harry?"

"Harry," Severus stepped forward to wrap his arms around him, pulling him back into the teachers huddled behind him. He was shaking gently as he whimpered, eyes flicking from Draco to the lawyer desperately.

"Anyway, we'll take leave of you now. Enjoy your suppers everyone." Draco spoke loudly to the Hall with a grin. "And Harry," He focused on Harry in the huddle of teachers. "Pregnancy suits you. You have such a pretty little flush."

"Get out!" Severus finally roared pointing to the door. "Get out you miserable, piece of murdering shite!"

Draco lifted his hood and glided out quietly to stand waiting outside in the lobby. The lawyer addressed Harry again.

"Your court date is on November the first of this year. Courtroom ten at the Ministry will be in use and documentation will reach you of any changes."

"So soon?" Minerva asked before he could turn to leave.

"Mr. Malfoy has had this procedure underway for over a month. He just had the kindness to alert you before the court date came. Also the case must be done before the baby's due," The lawyer smiled tightly. "So it can be taken before any ties are attached. Good evening."

Severus watched, fuming, as Draco and the man left through the front doors before he turned back to the group helping Harry onto a chair. Albus quieted the students behind him as he kneeled in front of Harry.

"Do you want to leave?"

"Please…please," Harry was shaking uncontrollably now, as he clutched the scroll. "Gods…tell me this is a bad dream…" Severus helped him up and had him out the side door and heading to his dungeons in a few minutes as the Hall fell behind.

"_Finite Stashio_." He told his portrait and helped Harry in as the door swung open. He held the shaking man all the way to his bedroom and laid him in the bed.

"Harry…Harry you need to relax okay?" He sat on the bed next to him as he cried gently and held his hand.

"He said…he's marrying Pansy!" Harry whispered. "He's going to…to take my baby to make that…that _witch_ his mother?"

"He's not going to take your baby." Severus brushed his hair back. "It won't succeed. When we present everything he's done before a court they will not give your child to him." He opened his bedside table and took out a vial. "You need to sleep. Everything is okay I promise."

Harry's green eyes blinked up, shiny. "Don't make a promise you can't keep Severus." He shuddered with a sigh. "Give me the vial. I want to sleep now."

Severus uncorked it and handed it to Harry who sucked the potion out quickly before giving it back and pulled the sheets over himself.

"It will look better in the morning…" Severus said quietly as Harry drifted off.

* * *

Harry woke the next morning feeling like road kill for some reason. He rubbed his eyes blearily then tried to sit up, only to realize he was pregnant. And in Severus' bed, not his own.

"Bugger…Severus!" Harry wriggled to the edge of the bed and put his legs over the side before sliding off and pushing up awkwardly just as Severus came in.

"…" Severus made a cough sound in his throat before clearing it. "Sorry. I forgot the pillows under your back."

"Bastard." Harry rubbed his spine with a pout. "It bloody hurts. And what was I doing in your bed?"

Severus' face twisted and he paused. "Draco happened."

Harry frowned before his face darkened. "Fuck. Shit, fuck." He covered his face with a groan. "I want to go back to sleep." He stumbled out of the bedchambers and headed for the bathroom.

"Harry, you have to pull yourself together." Severus waited by the door with his back to the doorway and talked to him. "I sat up last night thinking. First we have to get you a good solicitor to play against Hickson. He's good but he's also dirty. It'd be best to get someone with a grudge against him…that shouldn't be too hard. Also we have to pull as many witnesses and evidence of Draco's neglect and abandonment as we can. I wish I hadn't burnt that bloody letter from him asking you to abort the baby now…but I can still testify. And I have the box from those poisoned chocolates. I used all the actual sweets but the box should have some traces of the venom to prove the story and Remus' testimony will connect Draco."

Harry waddled out of the bathroom then looking thoughtful. "Also I can get the Healers at St. Mungo's to sort of…repay me for not suing their asses off by giving the _full_ version of what happened there in court…"

"Yes. See? We just have to discredit Draco. If he's married Pansy by then we can even go after her for not being good mother material. She has a few exploits to be used." Severus' lip curled disgustedly.

"Number twelve. 'You aren't worthy to lick my boots' curl." Harry sat at the kitchen table and sighed. "You know there's more than just his side. There's mine. I may be well off and I may be an upstanding citizen for the Voldemort thing…"

"We must harp on that. I know you don't like using your celebrity status like that Harry but you must." Severus sat across from him and leaned over the table.

"Okay." Harry wriggled forward. "Breakfast." He rubbed his stomach soothingly as Severus ordered and then turned back to him.

"What else?"

"Umm, the fact is Draco will be married by then I think. If he's already Promised to her…Hell, about a week before the trial he'll be married if he pushes the border of procedure. He'll use the stable household line…about how I'm not married and can't provide both father and 'mother' figure."

"What else?" Severus urged.

"I don't know…" Harry looked around frantically. "He'll use my unstable magic. Umm, no other family, but then again we can use that against him since you disowned him, if you take measures immediately to make it legal." Severus nodded. "Umm, what else…err, oh! I'm better off than he is, that's one for my side, and also he doesn't know I'm building a house. I don't want to give out the location but I want to prove to the court that the baby will have a stable environment."

"Is there anything else against you?"

"He'll use you and Remus…your past reputations and what you are or were." Harry said quietly. "I don't think there's anything else he can bring up on me…"

"Then I suggest we play dirty. Get dirt on him and make him seem as bad as we possibly can." Severus leaned back.

"I don't want to push too hard. If we try to blacklist him it'll reflect badly on us. Me." Harry stared at the table morosely.

Severus crossed his arms. "If we can't blacklist him we'll glorify you."

Harry almost smiled then. "What if we kill out the Voldemort thing? I haven't actually done anything else, all that great. Makes me wish I'd taken that place on England's Quidditch team. I'd at least be properly famous then."

"The preliminary hearing is on the seventeenth of October. We lay the basis for destroying his case then. If we do well enough we can even get his trial thrown out."

"We have just a month!" Harry covered his face. "Gods, help me."

"There's someone a little closer Harry…let's get started."

* * *

Over the month he disowned Draco formally. Though word was binding in the magical world, documentation was more so and they needed as much on Harry's side as possible. The house was back under construction again and would be finished by the end of October, just in time for the trial, with the furnishings coming in on Halloween. He'd found a law firm that had it in for Hicksons and Sons and hired them for Harry's case, which they had just loved. They and he and Harry had been in discussion for weeks about the position they were taking, the collection of witnesses and evidence and how it would be presented, had dug up dirt on Draco and Pansy to be used as last resort and had even approached things from the view of the other side coaching all their allies in the ways of staying cool under fire. They'd also got some slightly random witnesses, people who worked for Draco, the Healers and trainees at St. Mungo's that had been witness to the scene there and Harry's friends that knew Draco like Ron, Hermione and the Weasleys.

In fact Severus was worried they had overdone it with how strung up it had Harry, especially after realizing from what Harry said that his _former _godson had planned the times perfectly to snatch Harry's child from him as soon as possible after it was born. The baby was due the end of October, in two weeks.

It was the night before the preliminary hearing and Harry was a wreck.

"Severus I don't think I can do this!" Harry's voice had a hysterical edge as he sat in his squishy chair by Severus' fire, back in his chambers again. "I can't go there tomorrow…I'm…I'm _fat_. I'm a blimp! I'm due in two fucking weeks! What the fuck is Draco thinking?"

"He's thinking it's the perfect time and he has you just where he wants you. Are you going to prove him right?" Severus' black eyes scanned Harry, "You're pregnant. You're emotional. Draco's feeding on that. But you can do it Harry. And you're not a blimp. You more look like you swallowed a watermelon." He smirked as Harry glared wildly at him. "I think you're adorable."

"You can't just insult me and then flatter me you bastard…you're leaving me wrong-footed and confused as to whether I should be angry or not." Harry pouted indignantly.

"Be angry." Severus stood and stalked over to his chair predatorily. "Then I get to make it better…"

After a few more encounters he could gauge now from Harry's reaction to his overture whether to proceed or retreat usually but tonight he seemed torn, eyes flicking away from him.

"Severus…" He slowed and next to Harry's chair, stopped and kneeled with a sigh.

"You're worried about tomorrow." He stroked Harry's cheek at the slow nod. "You can take comfort with me."

"I want…" Harry's voice died away. "I want more. But it's not fair to ask it of you! I can't offer anything right now. I can't promise anything either…not until after this is over."

"You want more. Then take what you will. Just tell me when to stop and I will Harry. You can have all you want with me." It was different with Harry than being with someone else. And strangely he liked it. With others it was equal chase, both were predator and the meetings messy but with Harry…it was like dancing with a demure mate. He wanted but he wouldn't chase for it, he accepted overtures but let it be known when to back off, he seemed simple but was so much more complicated…he still thought Harry was perfect. More so now.

He groaned over Harry's soft whine as he pressed him into the chair greedily, plundering his mouth. He was pressed against the arm, up to leaning over now with one arm on the back for balance and his other hand stroking the bottom of Harry's stomach lazily. Then down to press against his erection.

"_Please_," Harry gasped out, voice breathy when his mouth was released.

"What do you want?" He rasped out, rubbing along the outline of his arousal. "I can't give you if you don't tell me."

"More, please! Don't…_stop_…!" Harry's quavering sob was all he needed to hear as he thanked muggles for sweatpants and sucked lovingly on Harry's neck. Minutes passed with him stroking Harry awkwardly but firmly, having trapped his overexcited body in the cushions. When Harry broke down to involuntary shudders and desperate pleading, he finally gave one last twisting stroke on his erection then Harry was coming strongly into his hand as his body shook spasmodically in the chair. He pressed a gentle kiss under his ear before pulling away to let him pant.

"Sev…erus…" Harry forced out weakly.

"Hush. Bed now." He helped him up like a limp pregnant rag doll and carried him to his chambers to lay him back in his again sea-green bed on his little mound of pillows. "Sleep."

"You…" Harry's eyelids were lowering reluctantly as he tried to keep his eyes on him.

"I'm fine." He leaned over and kissed Harry's reddened mouth chastely, soft. "Goodnight." He touched the baby softly before backing out.

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry people. School and life had me running around like a madman fixing things and it was a few days ago I realized I hadn't updated in ages. So here's your update. Don't worry though I should have some time during summers to really write up a storm. Stories I can tell will definitely be finished by the time summer is over are Days, this story, Incubus Heredity and hopefully #crosses fingers# Oblivion. Becca and I are a bit stuck on Vanteera.

Well until the next update...tum tum dum dummmmm!


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise. All HP characters and places belong to JK Rowling.

Chpt 13

# Offers a longer update in supplication and the hope she isn't lynched #…# uses J as a body-shield just in case #

**Days Like These**

Harry smiled waveringly for the cameras outside the courtroom as he held on to Severus' arm and entered. After the flashbulbs were gone he sighed softly and leaned more against Severus.

"I…I, need to sit." He whispered out as he spotted Draco at the front with his lawyer. Pansy was on the visitor's bench behind him, whispering to them.

"You get into your seat next to Pearson and stay. Relax. Calm your mind by practicing your Occlumency. And no matter what you hear Harry keep calm. Undue stress might induce labor this close to your time." Severus said softly as he led him to and eased him into his chair. "I'll be behind you okay? But don't mind me. Just relax."

"Easy for you to say." Harry said faintly as his lawyer Pearson sat next to him and Severus left him to go behind into the visitor's area. He looked over at the other table to see Pansy smirking at him and Draco watching him with a small smile.

He stared back for a moment before looking away pointedly and turned to stare at the front where the judge wizard would be. He turned occasionally when someone entered, or when a friendly hand fell on his shoulder with a smile of moral support but mostly kept his eyes away from Draco. After about twenty minutes the courtroom settled and then an official looking wizard stepped to the front of the room.

"In the proceedings of Mr. Draco Elucius Malgoy versus Harry James Potter…" The man stopped as another wizard sidled up to him and Harry bit his lip with a smile. "Oh, Malfoy. Err, Judge Kermit Van Gosser presiding." He finished faintly before scurrying off. "All rise."

Harry flushed as he struggled up out of his seat embarrassed before the judge came in and shifted unsteadily, pulling at his robes.

"You may sit." The judge flounced into his seat and stared at Harry. "You may disrobe if you would like Mister Potter."

"Thank you." Harry said gratefully, face flaming and wriggled out of his robes before sitting with everyone else.

"I understand your situation so you may stay seated." The judge addressed the rest of the room. "This is the preliminary hearing concerning the custody case for Harry James Potter's unborn child, a claim being made on the child by its father Draco Elucius Malfoy. This hearing is for Mister Malfoy to prove a basis for his case or for Mr. Potter to refute it. We will begin if the representatives are ready?" Mr. Pearson stood with along with Hickson and they both nodded.

"Good. Mr. Hickson you may begin." Harry breathed slowly as his lawyer sat back down and Hickson took the floor.

"My client believes his son will be better off under his care than with Mr. Potter. We will prove this by bringing forward evidence of Mr. Potter's unstable family status, his surroundings' danger to the child and his volatile magics."

Harry felt himself sit up straighter and bristle at the last comment.

"We can state the basics for our first point now by bringing to your attention your Honour that Mr. Potter has no living relatives besides a distant cousin, of the muggle world. He has no support system, no means of making a living and in fact at present now lives in what can be called a commune area. Using the term loosely your Honour."

"Objection." Mr. Pearson stood swiftly with a slow smile. "Mister Potter has an adoptive godfather who is of the wizarding world and many friends and family for his support system, if I may be allowed to ask you to look behind me for verification. His accounts also in fact outweigh Mr. Mafoy's so he has no need to make a living and he in fact lives at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and is their current Defense Against the Dart Arts professor. Who is also finishing a house at this moment, the location not being given but with the construction firm's director here as witness."

"Sustained." Harry cocked his head proudly and smiled. Take that you little fleabag, he flashed his eyes at Draco, who was grimacing.

"We count Mr. Potter's surroundings at Hogwarts as a danger to his child by sighting incidents that have occurred there to Mr. Potter himself…"

"Objection." Mr. Pearson stood again. "We have just shown that Mister Potter won't be living at Hogwarts. He's there temporarily after he was thrown out of his past residence of seven years by Mister Malfoy because Mr. Malfoy found out his fiancé was pregnant with his child and stated he didn't want…"

"Objection!" Mr. Hickson glared over.

"Sustained and sustained. Don't go overboard Mr. Pearson." Harry's lawyer simply shrugged and sat. "Continue."

"Apart from the incidences that have occurred at the school, we would also like to call into question the people who reside there with Mr. Potter. People like Albus Dumbledore who is notorious for getting into trouble and with other people such as Severus Snape and Rubeus Hagrid, who have dubious pasts and ahem, varied bloodlines."

"Objection to the bloodlines comment. We aren't here to judge Mr. Hickson."

"Sustained." But the judge glared at Pearson until he sat with a tiny smile.

"Are you trying to rile up the judge?" Harry whispered to him appalled.

"Don't worry, he likes me. Gosser likes theatrics. He's addicted to muggle soaps." Pearson snickered softly.

"Doesn't look like it…" Harry said faintly.

"…third point being that Mr. Potter, powerful that he is, has an unstable magical core and has in fact had occurrences since the baby's conception where his magic has put it at risk." Mr. Hickson looked over expectantly but Pearson and Harry just blinked back. "Ahem, the first being on arrival at his adoptive godfather's home to find Mr. Malfoy there in what seemed to be a questionable position…"

Pearson coughed making Harry swallow a snort as he passed him a glass of water.

"…then proceeded to become agitated and in likeliness to how he defeated He-Who…err, Voldemort," Some of the courtroom cringed here. "Almost blew the house apart."

Harry was rubbing his baby assuredly as Pearson prepped his notes, thinking that takeover time was coming when Hickson smirked and continue.

"Also, making reference to Mr. Potter's seventh year of school, in events unknown to his close friends and mentors but known to Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter dabbled in Dark Arts in order obtain magics to destroy Voldemort's soul." Harry gasped while several in the courtroom joined him or winced as Hickson continued. "When he became agitated around this time Mr. Potter's magical core, being tainted with some of Voldemort's power from his cursed scar, did random acts of Dark magic. Mr. Malfoy can testify Mr. Potter incinerated a book before his eyes with what he believes to be a 'feeding fire' spell. He of course knows this through study." Hickson finished with a smarmy smile.

"Is that true?" Pearson hissed to him while Harry stared openmouthed at Hickson.

"I haven't done that ever since then! It was one time!" Harry pled back. "Well, two…"

"If you'd read the papers five months ago you'd also have heard about Mr. Potter's disciplinary hearing, for the killing of two wizards, believed to be Dark. He suffocated them to death…with yet another Dark Arts spell because his emotions were stirred and he lost control of his magics. In relation to this Mr. Malfoy would like to solidify his belief that Mr. Potter is too emotionally malleable, gullible and ahem, for lack of better word, ignorant, to be able to protect the child in the magical world due to his half-blood status."

"Objection!" Pearson stood suddenly, not smiling anymore. "Judgement again and name calling!"

"Sustained. Sit Mr. Pearson."

"Withdrawing those last two points then," Mr. Hickson said soothingly. "Mr. Potter's emotional malleability can be seen in how he has been manipulated several times by Mr. Albus Dumbledore of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, by this man who he views as a grandfather, by one Severus Snape, former Death Eater spy, of same place, Remus Lupin, previously mentioned adoptive godfather to him who is also a werewolf…"

"Thank you. Is that it?"

"No your Honour. We round off by saying even though Mr. Potter did us a great favour in defeating Voldemort, he is rather…how shall we say this, fragile, from a non-magical point of view. He's unused to our ways, being enlightened during the past seven years by Mr. Malfoy, and could be easily lied to in order to be cheated." Mr. Hickson then nodded slightly to the judge and stepped back, going to his seat.

Harry swallowed heavily, eyes darting from Draco's table to the judge. They twisted everything! For Gods sake this judge couldn't really be taking stuff from his seventh year seriously could he? And he was _not_ bloody fragile!

"I'll start then by refuting that last comment towards Mr. Potter's fragility. If he was _fragile_, he wouldn't have been able to defeat the Dark wizards our Ministry has been trying to for thirteen years before he was born." Mr. Pearson tapped his papers together before standing. "Mr. Potter may not have grown up in the wizarding world and he might be unknowledgeable to our more arcane laws and such but he has been around magic from the age eleven onwards, as are all half-blood or less children that join the magical world. So I would assume many of us in here are gullible and ignorant then."

A few people tittered quietly as Harry chewed his lip.

"Emotional malleability can also be disputed. Simply, friends and family will help in a change of direction or course when they believe someone to be going wrong. It's that simple. And if he believes Mr. Potter overly emotional maybe it's his fault for the condition he has Mr. Potter in." Harry flushed as half the courtroom looked at him. "After all think of all the hormones running through his body right now and all the stress he's under. And Mr. Malfoy was ever so helpful to this, staging this farce so close to Mr. Potter's due date…"

"Objection!"

"Sustained. This 'farce' is quite seriously going to decide if this goes to trial or not."

"Mr. Hickson also made several allusions to the characters of our witnesses. Mr. Lupin's condition is a disease he unfortunately gained as a child, under new law also not to be judged as being half-blood would have been. Mr. Snape was a spy for the Light side, who infiltrated Voldemort's ranks to gain information for our use, it's not something to be taken lightly or turned into something despicable."

Mr. Pearson paced in front of the courtroom. "Also, in relation to the point brought up about Mr. Potter's unstable magical core, Mr. Malfoy neglects to mention that in that 'questionable position' he was found in, he was believed to have slept with the defendant's godfather and instead of trying to calm the defendant stirred up his anger knowing just what Mr. Potter could do." Here Pearson looked at Draco smugly.

"Moving on to our own basis for having this…case, thrown out, Mr. Potter does have a stable home ready for this child. He can be both mother and father, as he already has been after Mr. Malfoy's abandonment. Mr. Malfoy himself cut any ties to this child when he released Mr. Potter and disowned his child by word in front of two witnesses…"

"Objection. The werewolf, sorry, witness was present…the other one heard. And after all those Death Eater raids with the screams so loud, can we trust his hearing?" Hickson jabbed spitefully.

"Overruled." The judge glared at Mr. Hickson. "Stop making allusions."

"Withdrawn." He sat face blanked.

"Continuing…along with abandonment we bring forward the charge that Mr. Malfoy has in fact tried to hurt Mr. Potter and his child, going so far as to almost cause them both to lose their li…"

"Objection!" Hickson stood angrily. "Mr. Malfoy will not have his name besmirched with such groundless accusations."

"I have a material witness." Pearson bristled back. "We have evidence!"

"Sit Mr. Hickson. You're overruled."

"He's tried to endanger Mr. Potter's life and have his own child killed. If we all read the newspaper we all know that at one point he speculated in public fashion through the Prophet if the child was even his! Knowing full well he was Mr. Potter's first and only lover." Mr. Pearson said curtly.

"Objection. It cannot be proved today in this court that Mr. Malfoy tried to kill Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy did not stalk his former fiancé day and night to verify that he was his only. We assume. And with the company he keeps these days who can be sure…" Hickson cast a disgusted eye behind Harry who bristled as he realized he meant Severus.

"Overruled because of that added comment Hickson. Keep it up and I'll toss this case out so fast…"

"Withdrawn! Sorry your Honour." He bowed slightly but sat with a small smirk.

Mr. Pearson ground his teeth and paced glaring at Hickson. "Mr. Malfoy did try to _kill_ Mr. Potter. He did abandon him when he found out his fiancé was pregnant with _his own child _and he did disown the child verbally, which is partially binding. In addition he tried to muddy my client's character internationally with ridiculous allusions and he finally, to add insult to injury, didn't try to hide or deny he had an affair with said client's godfather _the same night_ they became aware of the child's conception." Pearson turned to the courtroom with a cutting grin. "Mr. Malfoy claims he can provide better for this child that he now suddenly wants…"

"Objection…" Hickson said coldly.

"Mr. Pearson…" Van Gosser's tone was warning as Harry chewed his lip raw watching his lawyer.

"Sorry. He claims he can provide better for this child," Here he paused dramatically and let the audience fill in the blanks. "Because he believed he had larger accounts and because he is a pureblood of the wizarding world. But at present he is Promised to a Mrs. Pansy Parkinson-Zabini, to be Malfoy, who he would have as this child's mother…when many of the wizarding world know of her past employ and scandals…" Pearson made a comical face, sending the courtroom into titters again and even relaxing Harry to a small smile.

"Objection! He himself said no judgement. This is not the place for character questioning. That's for the trial."

"Sustained. Though strange you now realize this yourself Mr. Hickson." Gosser stared at him before turning to Pearson. "Continue."

"He may claim Mr. Potter, gullible and malleable and 'ignorant', but I personally would rather a parental figure like this for my child than one of Mrs. Parkinson-Zabini's…stature."

"Ob-jec-tion!" Hickson slammed his papers down.

"Sustained."

"Okay moving right along then." Pearson said quickly raising his hands. "Calling the plaintiff himself into question. Unfaithful, family of dubious past, his father having died a minion of Voldemort…"

"Mr. Pearson you're moving into character judgement again. If you're through…"

"Wrapping up, I ask is this worthy of being taken to court after hearing Mr. Potter's side compared to Mr. Malfoy's?" Mr. Pearson smiled slightly around the room before sitting.

"We will reconvene in half hour. Court adjourned." The judge stood and exited as Harry went limp in his seat.

"Harry!" He looked up tiredly as Hermione came around to hug him gently. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. A bit tired. Did that go well?" He looked around anxiously. "I'm really worried."

"I think it went well Harry. Don't stress yourself out." She opened her purse and broke off a piece of his Honeydukes chocolate slab and gave to him. "Go on."

"Thanks Hermione." He said with a laugh sucking on it. Ron came forward and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.

"Good job keeping calm Harry. But how come you never told us about…"

"I'd forgotten. Honestly. I didn't tell you _then_ though because…well, I caught Draco with, kissing, another guy. I knew what you would say to that! And I was ashamed I'd gotten so angry that…that I used Dark magic. I couldn't control myself." Harry frowned, sucking on his split lip.

Hermione sighed. "If that wasn't a big neon stop sign Harry I don't think we could have convinced you to leave him back in seventh year then."

"I know now. I know." Harry perked up as Severus came back over from talking to Pearson and sat in his chair next to him.

"Are you okay?" He nodded and smiled slightly as a large hand rubbed his stomach soothingly.

"We're fine. Thank you." He whispered back. "Do you think it went well?"

"Pearson pushed a bit hard in the middle because he got worked up but I think he got his point across before he went too far…I think it was good enough though. Unless the judge wants to see further into character detriment."

"But he was implying that…" Harry flushed. "There was something between us. Pearson was right to go after Draco. Hickson went after you!"

Severus waved a hand. "It was expected. What I didn't like was what he brought up about you. When you were training with me you never said anything about that spontaneous Dark magic…"

"I made myself control it! Because I was afraid of the fact I lost control. And I felt guilty I almost struck out at Draco. His head could have been that book…" Harry explained urgently.

"I hope it didn't hurt us too badly…but we'll see." He brushed Harry's cheek softly. "Stay hopeful. I'm going back. And keep calm." He stood and ran fingers through Harry's hair before going back into the visitor's area.

"_Is_ there something going on between you two?" Hermione asked with a smile.

"Not what you think!" Harry flushed red. "I don't think it'd be possible to…do that, this pregnant."

"I wasn't thinking of that actually but obviously you were." Hermione laughed softly. "I meant are you dating."

"Oh." Harry covered his cheeks flustered. "Umm, dating? Err, not really. But sort of? It's not dating like how we did at Hogwarts…"

Hermione laughed again. "If you're happy I'm happy. You don't need to explain."

"I'm confused." Harry whispered. Hermione hugged him with one arm.

"I'll go back for the court to restart. You just have to accept things Harry and it won't be so confusing anymore."

He stared after Hermione in confusion until the judge returned to the dock. After the pomp, which he got to sit out for with a wave of Van Gosser's hand, he spoke.

"My ruling is simple. At first I thought my decision would be straightforward and Mr. Potter, I genuinely believe you love your child a lot, it's plain to see. But it is worrying this…instability in your magic."

"No…" Harry whispered, starting to shake.

"I'm ruling that this goes to court. Perhaps Mr. Potter if you could have a Healer check you over and documentation brought to trial that you're magically safe for your child this can be finished swiftly. Mr. Malfoy I believe you have some alternative motive for this but it's not my place to judge _now_ and for your sake I hope Mr. Potter can't prove you tried to kill him…or you should withdraw this case now before it progresses to an attempted murder spin-off trial. Court adjourned until November first."

"Harry!" Severus whispered rushing forward again as Harry turned frantically, tears running down his cheeks.

"Gods…he can't…take _my_ _baby!_" Harry threw his arms around Severus' neck desperately.

Draco picked then to leave passing by the table. "You have some natural right to the child as its birth mother Harry. After he's been with Pansy a while though maybe you can apply for the job of sleep-in nanny. You might _get lucky_." Draco hissed the end with a sharp smile.

"I'm not lowering myself to being your _whore_ you fucking bastard!" Harry screamed over Severus' shoulder at Draco's back, as he left with Pansy. "_You're not getting my son!_"

* * *

The biggest surprise was that Harry hadn't gone into labor at the end of the trial with how worked up he'd become but Hermione had plied him with a mouthful of chocolate and that seemed to calm him down. But it broke Severus' heart to see Harry crying quietly, choking down what he usually thought a treat.

He brought Harry back to his chambers at Hogwarts and after getting him to eat a bit of an early-evening supper, brought him down gently by showering him with all the love he could. After almost an hour of kissing, whispering and soothing back rubs Harry had stopped crying and was hiccuping brokenly into his neck.

"Severus…"

"Yes Harry?" He kissed a wet cheek lightly. "I promised you Draco wouldn't take your son and he's not going to…okay?" He pulled away to stare into the watery green eyes. "Okay?"

"Okay." His voice replied faintly.

"Don't you believe me?" Severus helped him up off the chair and walked him into his bedroom to sit on the bed.

"I believe you'll try. I believe you'll do your best to stop it." Harry hiccuped again with a sob. "I dunno if _it'll_…we can…"

"We can and we will. We'll just get you booked for an evaluation like the judge said. He wanted to rule for you, you know. It was just the unstable magical core being called into question…"

"What if it says I'm…I could be dangerous for my baby…" Harry's luminous green eyes welled up looking at him and he leaned down to kiss him softly.

"I do not believe you could hurt your child Harry." He took off Harry's shoes and pulled off his slacks and folded them putting them aside. "We will do as the judge suggested and if the test doesn't turn out well we'll go after Draco for trying to kill you but he's not getting your son." He unbuttoned Harry's shirt and pulled him up to take it off before lowering him back down to the bed pulling his three pillows in the middle. "Now sleep. I wish I could join you but…you're just too tempting like this." He dropped a soft kiss to his forehead.

"You have a pregnant man kink Severus." Harry said with a sad laugh. He caressed his tummy gently though, sprawled comfortably across his pillows in his boxers. "I want to take your promise but it is not one you can keep…" He whispered detachedly. "We thought today went well and we…I messed up. If I mess up again I could lose my son to Draco and Pansy."

Severus sat on the bed then laid next to him rubbing his stomach. "Then we will find out what Draco's ulterior motive for wanting your son is and bring him down on it. We'll exploit Pansy. We'll go in hard at him if we have to but we're not losing ou…your son."

Harry turned his red rimmed eyes to Severus.

"Would you like a Dreamless Sleep?" Severus sat up again suddenly and turned from him to the bedside table to grab a vial. "I have to firecall Pearson. Get him here for a nice long chat tomorrow morning. Here. Sleep well Harry."

"Goodnight Severus." Came softly from his bed as he shut the door.

He stayed up another hour talking to Pearson just in the fire, planning the next step in their case. He went to his bed carefully, sliding in next to Harry and wrapping an arm around him gently before falling asleep.

He was up the next morning before him and by the time Harry came shuffling slowly out of the bathroom, he was dressed and about to head to the Great Hall.

"Breakfast is on the table. I'm going to talk to Pearson. Take your time to come up. We're going to be there all day."

"Severus." He cringed as Harry's voice came softly from behind him and steeled himself before turning.

"You've _been_ like a father to him. It's okay to love him." Harry pulled on his bathrobe tie gently.

"I love…you. I love you both." He admitted quietly. "This is the bloody carrot Harry and I don't even like carrots. Or maybe it's a karat. A perfect dangling karat diamond before my face. You, your love, your baby…could be my life. The life I want."

"Then we can't lose can we?" Harry smiled shakily. "This has to work out so you can court me properly and I can have time to…to move on."

Severus shut his eyes. "No expectations." At least, he shouldn't have any. But he'd be bloody lying if he said he didn't!

* * *

By the twenty-fifth they felt like their case was floundering. They had all their witnesses alerted and ready to be called up, they had the dirt on Draco and Pansy and they had the measly evidence they could manage to connect to them or imply connected. Pearson had told them truthfully the letter could be mentioned and even memory offered in a pensieve but as it had been burned the judge would ask the jury to ignore it, sort of like striking it from the record but it'd be there in their minds. Also Remus' evidence of overhearing Draco with whoever he'd hired would be put under examination with his sketchy hearing of what was said, only his werewolf abilities having enabled him to hear anything at all, and his not knowing who the person was. The third party at Hogwarts had been identified as a little Hufflepuff boy who thought he'd been helping someone give Harry a birthday gift. He'd been used twice actually. Once to get the chocolates to a house elf to leave in Harry's rooms and secondly to inform whoever it was on the outside that Harry was 'seeing' Snape. The boy couldn't identify who it was as he didn't know. He'd just been asked to pass on the chocolates that once by letter, but after that the person kept writing to find out if Harry had got them, if he seemed okay, what was going on with him and he'd stopped writing back after the boy's last letter.

Harry had managed to get an appointment for his evaluation for early in the morning of the first so he could come from St. Mungo's straight to the judge with the information. And if it was bad…they'd finish up trying to blacklist Draco. What they needed though was to find out what it was driving Draco behind this…if they couldn't find that out…

"We need something else on our side." Pearson frowned deeply looking over his notes. "We've dug up everything for making Parkinson look like bad mother material. Draco was easy. Is easy." Pearson snickered as Harry gave a weak smile. "And we've got all our witnesses. Nothing else to do is there? Nothing to give us a bang though…"

"What would count as a bang?" Severus asked suddenly.

"Find out Draco wants your kid for a Dark Ritual potion?…Umm, that house getting finished?"

"That'll happen about a day after the trial." Harry whispered.

"Err, well you having the baby might be sympathy value but then Draco might…"

"Try to take him away from me." Harry paled. "No! He can't come until after the trial is done…" He wrapped his arms around himself.

"What if Harry got Bonded?"

"Doesn't a Bonding need a month courting time at least?" Pearson said curiously.

"Not for a half-blood. We don't have to follow traditional procedure as we're not…all pure." Severus sneered.

Harry looked up surprised. "You're half…?"

"Let's not get into it right now. Don't you get what I'm telling you Harry?" Pearson 'ooh-ed' silently as he looked between Harry and Severus. "With Pearson as witness, because I don't have a ring to give you..."

"Ring…?" Harry gaped before clutching the table. "Don't say things like that Severus…" He whispered raspy.

"I'm not kidding Harry. Promise with me. Now. There's still six days. Seven if we do it now and the time comes out evenly or more than one hundred and sixty eight hours." Severus stood. "Please Harry. Not only for your son…for me."

"I…I wanted time…"

"Time for what?" Pearson interjected with a lifted eyebrow. "You two have been acting like love birds for…the weeks I've known you. If articles hadn't already been in the paper saying the kid was Malfoy's I'd think it was his!"

Harry flushed. "I can't just…"

"Why not?" Severus urged.

"Because I'm not sure if I love you! I don't know how I'm supposed to feel! With Draco…I thought it was passion and fire and…"

"We don't have that." He said flatly.

"Only when we…" Harry's flush deepened. "Sometimes. But I know it's supposed to be all the time. Love isn't only for when you're making love. Or making out." Harry shot Pearson a look.

"Harry, when will you _learn_. Love…love comes in all different ways." Severus sat suddenly, drained.

"Love can be quiet Harry. If you want to find out if you love Severus just imagine life without him. Simple." Pearson offered. "Well, if that's out perhaps we should try harder to find out why Draco wants your son…I don't think he could have gone sterile that fast…need for his first heir to inherit money…public relations save…kids lower vault taxes? There must be something we just have to find…"

"Yes." Harry squeaked out. He looked at the table as a small wavering grin grew on his face. "Yes?"

"Kids lower taxes?" Pearson frowned confused while Severus stared.

"Yes I'll Promise to you!" Harry laughed as Severus was suddenly there and he was enveloped in a tight hug.

* * *

AN: School's out. And wouldn't you know it? Just as I get free time to write...I get writer's block. None of my stories interest me right now. And can only manage two paragraphs max on each of the five I can even manage to get something out on...and even with some on my comp that haven't been posted...I know what I want to write...but I don't have the...drive to sit and write it. So I've been reading and reading and reading until i get the urge. Hence, why no updates.

I didn't even feel like updating people.

So anyway I hope I'm over this soon so I can bring you guys some good stuff. Obliv and Inc and ReRu...until then, hang in there!


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise. All HP characters and places belong to JK Rowling.

Chpt 14

#the writer's block continues...#

**Days Like These**

"How could you do this to us Harry!" Hermione rushed around his and Severus' chambers as he lounged in his chair.

"I'd help if I could!" He laughed nervously. "God knows I'm anxious enough myself!"

"How the hell do you think we could manage to put together a wedding in a few days?" She screeched again as she pushed the final script of the Bonding invitations onto Severus' desk in front of Remus for him to write out at least thirty invitations.

Harry flushed. "It was kind of a sudden decision." He shivered and wrapped his arms around himself with a shy smile.

Hermione paused to look at him before shaking her head. "Still. If Ron and I hadn't been able to come and we hadn't been able to get Remus and Arthur and Molly and Albus and Minerva and," She made a noise of frustration. "You are so lucky you have us all to help!"

"I know." He said softly with a grateful smile.

He sat watching all his friends and family scurry around desperately to have the wedding plans finished by tomorrow so the invitations could go out the next day. It would still be short notice with the ceremony on the thirtieth but it was better than nothing. He looked around hopefully. Since Severus wasn't here he could get up and help…he still had to pick flowers and decorations so he could just get that magazine from over there for a look…

Except his chair was so comfy and warm and squishy…and it didn't seem to want to let him up. He frowned really trying to push up before he noticed Hermione smirking at him.

"Why can't I…?"

"Severus. He did something to your chair." She laughed. "Just tell me what you want and I'll get it."

"Bastard." Harry muttered under his breath. "I won't break. I just need the decorations book. I wanna help…"

"I think he's more afraid you'll go into labour." Hermione replied quietly as she came back with the book. "If this baby is born a Potter-Snape it'll be harder for Draco to get custody of him from you. And he certainly won't be able to have it snatched from you right after it's born. So you just have to keep rested until after the ceremony."

Harry breathed deeply as Hermione left to go take care of something. She was right. He had to take it easy. Calm as possible. Severus was taking care of the case and he just had to relax and watch his wedding be planned. It wasn't anything like what he'd dream of his wedding being but…he was loved. And that was all that mattered wasn't it?

* * *

By the day before his Bonding everything was set. His and Severus' exquisite Bonding robes had come, the gazebo was set up on the lawn by the lake, the flower arrangements had been brought in and set up, the food was ready, the people who had accepted their invitations had written back, Albus would be blessing them, Remus would be giving him away and Pearson had somehow become Severus' best man! There was only one thing he was worried about…

"Are you sure this won't get out before the ceremony is done?" Harry whispered anxiously, plucking at the robes he'd be wearing the next day that were hanging in Severus' bedroom.

"Ms. Skeeter will have a Secrecy charm on herself until the ceremony is over and she leaves the grounds. And the children will be inside during the ceremony and ushered out for the reception when we head inside. They won't be able to get back in until late and then it's straight to bed. And they won't even realize they've been cheated out of something until the next day." Severus smirked.

"I can't believe you got Albus to agree to that." Harry turned and shook his head with a small smile.

"But if they were allowed to watch then they might run wild. Ruin the ceremony. Then word would get out." Severus said offhandedly.

"You know they wouldn't. They'd be in shock." Harry laughed.

"Greasy old bat marrying Harry Potter?" Severus asked wryly.

"Big scary, Slytherin, Potions Master marrying a Gryffindor." Harry quipped back. He kissed Severus lightly before stepping back with a flush and heading for the door. "I'm going to sleep in my room tonight."

"Superstitious Potter?" Severus arched an eyebrow. "There's enough room."

"It's not traditional." Harry smiled. "Night Severus. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

* * *

The morning of the thirtieth dawned pink tinged and crisp, dew on the grass, glimpses of the sun promising a bright day and by the time he woke Harry was gone.

He did not see Harry for the morning and he did not see him until he was ushered around the bride's side of the guest aisle, from Hagrid's hut, up to him in the gazebo for the ceremony. Then he was glad only the people who already knew he was '_gone'_ for this man could see him staring speechlessly at him. Harry's eyes were fixed demurely on the ground before him as he walked slowly towards him, a vivid flush on his cheeks. The white and tawny fabric and embroidered gold stitching accentuated the skin that was tanned golden again from lounging in the sun and cream colored feet flashed and peeked from under his robe as he walked barefoot up the silk carpet.

Remus helped him up the three small steps carefully to stand besides Severus before stepping aside until only the two of them were before Albus' sight alone.

"Welcome, closest friends and family…and one invited guest." Albus twinkled at Rita Skeeter before turning his eyes over the gathered people. "We meet today in joyful union to Bond Harry James Potter and Severus Sceptimus Snape."

Severus wasn't listening to Albus, instead his eyes were fixed on the tops of Harry's cheekbones, his sooty eyelashes. He could see his eyes darting under them, looking anywhere but up and his hands playing nervously with the tie on his robe. He really didn't want his hus…Harry, to embarrass himself by undoing that tie and reached out catching the scuttling fingers.

"Huh!" He held the smaller hands tighter after Harry's startled jump and smiled slightly as the green eyes finally looked into his.

'_Everything is okay.'_ The other man's hands relaxed into his as his eyes told him he'd got the message and they finally squeezed back. Telling himself it'd be improper to kiss his…gah, 'Harry!' now, in the middle of the ceremony, he focused his attention back on Albus.

"…not been undertaken lightly." Albus waved his wand then and two shimmering chalices appeared floating before them. "If you would both take hold of a chalice," His and Harry's gazes flitted back together before they let go of each other's hands and took one. "The chalice you hold, represent your separate lives, separate hearts, separate bodies and separate souls. With this Bonding you are giving your life, heart body and soul, to your Bonded. If anyone here believes these two are entering this joining in the wrong spirit or mind speak now, or hold your silence."

It was almost perceptible, all eyes turning to glare at Rita Skeeter who huddled in her chair and tried to look inconspicuous. Albus smiled and turned back to Harry and Severus. "All here believe you enter this union of right spirit and mind. Please, looking into your chalice." He looked away from Harry to the small goblet-like urn he was holding and unscrewed the top carefully. His chest tightened painfully as he looked into the potion in the goblet. He knew what this potion was, which would explain why he was looking at a reflection of Harry instead of himself. Harry smiling at him, teasing, talking to him, face suffused with color as he came to pleasure under his hands.

_Heart's Desire._

He looked at Albus, who was twinkling at him before turning hesitant eyes to Harry. What if he didn't see him in his potion? This didn't need to be done, damned Albus! It was supposed to be simple wine!

"What do you see?" Severus ground his teeth at Albus' question.

"Harry." he muttered. The damnable blue eyes twinkled some more and turned to Harry.

"What do you see?"

"I see…my son." Harry whispered, looking up from his goblet. His eyes were welling and Severus was becoming angry at Albus for doing this. Harry wasn't ready to do this. Look into himself to see what he wanted. Why did he have to arrange for this bloody potion…! "My son…and Severus is holding him." Harry smiled goofily, eyes wet. "I'm there with them. And we look…so happy."

Harry wanted him? A family with him? Severus' face was blank but eyes tumultuous. He didn't know what he felt. Disbelief? Hope? Harry's wet green eyes finally blinked up, his happiness shining in them and…he couldn't really explain it. But he was having problems breathing. His chest felt tight with…something. He'd stopped listening to Albus and was surprised when Harry's hand came out to squeeze his, pulling him back to the present.

"Severus, do you take Harry…" Albus' voice droned on.

Yes. _Yes, yes, yes_. He'd never before felt like doing something totally spontaneous but at the moment he felt like grabbing Harry and running off with him to somewhere safe where no one could ever bother them again…

"…For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, together for eternity?"

"Yes. I do." Severus said quickly, the words almost flying out making Harry laugh quietly at him. Albus twinkled annoyingly at him before turning to ask Harry the same muggle drivel. The words didn't matter, it was the Bonding. When their magics would join. When he could…_feel_, Harry.

"I do." Harry said softly, biting on his lip enticingly. He reminded himself again not to take liberties yet and focused on Albus.

"Please place your chalice next to each other." Severus put his down after Harry and pushed them together gently feeling the tingle of magic at work. "Your magic might say you're compatible. But I want you to remember something both my boys," Albus said quietly, just for them, looking Severus in the eye before looking to Harry. "It's what you make of your life together. You learned that Harry. And I figure you know Severus. So don't lose your love, don't take each other for granted…and please, stay happy."

Harry gave Albus a little nod as he stared. They didn't need words.

"Push your chalice together gently until they have joined. When the light emanates from it do try not to pull away." Albus said in a normal tone again, jovial.

He watched as his and Harry's goblet's melted together both of them seeming to disappear as they merged into the place where they became one. With the final inch where the two outer rims merged there was a gentle light that made his breath hitch as his body was flooded with heat. A quiet, just there, heat. He looked up to Harry to catch his eyes fluttering shut as he gasped soundlessly.

Harry's face was glowing, a bliss on it that seemed beyond words as he just reveled in the feeling he was getting from their joined magics. His green eyes finally opened and with a tiny smile, he looked down at their two hands still holding the chalice. From the winding design on the chalice, a golden twine was unfurling, curling up his ring finger slowly.

_Bonding ring_.

He thought to look up to Albus but instead watched as the golden band was formed around his finger, the gold twine winding again and again until a thick gold band of the twine was on his finger. It flicked off the goblet and trailed away merging with the rest on his finger and with another small flash…he was wearing his wedding band.

He blinked before looking to Harry, whose eyes were sparkling tears again, as he looked at the smaller, more feminine gold band he was wearing. Ecstasy was scuttling under his skin and he unsure where it was coming from until Harry's other hand reach out to his free one again.

_Harry._

"With the union of your two chalice into one, you are Bonded, bound together until such time as the world as we know it ends, for after death you still shall not be parted. You may kiss."

Severus didn't disengage his gaze from Harry's as he leaned in and finally kissed his new husband as Harry made a small sound and shut his eyes as welled tears finally spilt over. Their friends and family clapping was like a small buzzing in the background as he kissed Harry a little harder, a promise for later, before he pulled away. He stepped back as Harry opened slightly dazed eyes, leaning imperceptibly into him and looked around vaguely before blushing before all the eyes.

"Thank you so much." He called out to the gathered people making Harry's family laugh.

"They're laughing at you because it's silly to think that they'd ever not come to your Bonding." Severus leaned into his, _husband_, and whispered into his ear. The red on Harry's cheeks deepened before he turned his head slightly to Severus' and smiled.

"What would you like to do first? Dance, toast or cut the cake? Or in what order?" Harry amended with a laugh.

"Toast, cut the cake, then dance." Winding an arm behind Harry's back Severus pulled him close. "We also have a contract to officiate."

"We'll get there." Harry whispered back.

* * *

"I feel naked."

"And why do you say that?" Severus was sitting on his bed watching Harry look out the enchanted window he'd got the castle to add so Harry could see the children out enjoying their reception. He looked round, in the middle, and happy and red…

Harry was blushing brightly as he turned around. "Because I can feel you staring at me and I know you're…naked," His eyes flicked away. "under those robes."

"It is not comfortable." He said evenly, arching an eyebrow. He could feel Harry's embarrassment tickling him at the back of his mind and hid a smirk.

"And so am I." Harry flushed redder. "And you're staring at me."

Severus' lip quirked as he looked away. "Better?"

"How are we supposed to…" Harry swallowed, stepping towards the bed awkwardly. "_Do_…this?"

"It does not have to be intercourse and I would not dream of inducing labor by my…covetousness of you," he turned his eyes coolly back to Harry who went redder again. "So a simple exchange of fluids will do."

"So…just what you usually…err," Harry covered his face with an embarrassed groan. "That sounds so wrong you know? For people who just got Bonded. You'll just do what you usually do to me."

"And you'll have to do it back. And not every Bonded couple is virgin to one another. It's not necessary. Or expected in these times." Severus shrugged.

"Would you like it if it was that way?" Harry sat tentatively next to him on the bed. "I know you're a bit traditional even if you try not to seem…all stuffy and conventional."

"I don't want you to think of me as antique." Severus said quietly. "But there is nothing wrong with a bit of tradition. And technically, we are still virgin _to each other_. I got you off…once. And you've never touched me before."

"I've felt…guilty about that. Like if I've been stringing you along and…I don't know if I've even been frustrating you but," he blushed at Severus' snort. "Okay then. Well I'm sorry."

"In a seven day week you suck on a piece of chocolate at least five days of that week and the other two days you're licking _something _else off your fingers. Yes Harry you have frustrated me many times. But the times you allowed me to…please you I never let you reciprocate because…when you did it I didn't want you do it out of a sense of obligation. I wanted you to do it because you wanted to." He played with the sheets, not meeting Harry's eyes. "I'm sorry this puts you in the position of still having to…be forced, but at least this time it's for a good reason."

He looked up to find Harry digging into his robe pocket before he pulled out their marriage scroll and set it on the bedside table.

"The last time…" Thetan cheeks tinged again before Harry looked up. "The last time it wasn't out of a sense of obligation. I wanted to…I was wondering why you wouldn't let me…but you were awfully skilled at shuttling me off to bed. I thought it was supposed to be some kind of tonic to get me to sleep." Harry's laugh faltered.

"Actually it was. But never think it was because I didn't want to. It was a win-win situation." He reached out a hand to Harry's back and ran fingers down his robe smiling as Harry shivered. He turned from arranging his pillows in the middle of the bed and flushed with a shy smile.

"I don't know why I thought I wouldn't have passion with you." Harry silenced him with a finger across the lips. "It's not because you're older or rigid or anything like that. It's because I can't wrap my mind around how…caring you are for, to, me. I always thought you were cold. But it's stupid to have never thought of it. If you were really so unemotional as all the kids thought in my years at school you'd have never needed Occlumency, would you?" Harry moved his finger and caressed his cheekbone lightly, making his eyes widen. "The fact you need it shows how emotional you are. Else you wouldn't need a way to mask your emotions."

"I'm not some emotional well of sensitivity. Don't romanticize me please Potter."

"I'm not saying that's what you are. Just you have strong feelings." Harry smiled softly and leant over to kiss him. "Lots of them. I can _feel_ them." Severus felt his breath catch in his throat as Harry's lips met his again. And again. His fists flexed at his sides as their lips started to part once more before Harry moaned and pressed into him. And nothing but Hogwarts crumbling around him could have stopped him then. Maybe not even that.

He raked fingers into Harry's hair, cupping his head, tilting his mouth for better access as the soft lips spread. He tasted every inch of the cavity now offered so freely to him, and glided his tongue along his mate's. He didn't stop until Harry's frantic hands had curled into his sleeves and he seemed to be pulling him down. He finally released Harry's mouth, gasping in air and watched dazedly as Harry panted breathlessly and tugged on him again before lying back. His eyes darkened as he pushed Harry more onto his pillows and settled down next to his flushed, and now obviously, excited body.

"Harry," He was almost appalled, at how husky, raspy and needful his voice sounded. Or he would be if he didn't want the man lying next to him so much.

"I'm not being forced. I don't see this as being forced Severus." Wide, wild green eyes looked, frenzied, into his. "I want this." He let himself be pulled into another passionate kiss and pulled back tasting his lips. "Believe me, I do." Harry's cheeks reddened deeply as he smiled shyly, embarrassed.

"I do. And Circe, I _need_ you!" He leaned over Harry and claimed his mouth again, trying not to ask for too much, pulling away when he thought he was. His blood was throbbing so hard he couldn't _think,_ he could feel Harry's own excitement and need beating under his skin, he ignored the lips following hungrily after his and instead moved his mouth to the neck bared to him. His hands fluttered over Harry's body, fingers skimming his robes from his chest down to his hips, to where he couldn't help wriggling down so he could straddle his legs and have better…access.

"Sev…"

"Ssh." He undid the ornate tie of his robe and shrugged his shoulders out of it. Harry made him feel hot, bothered, overprotective, loving…so many things. Gods, he _was_ in love with this man. "Ssh." He whispered again and pulled slowly on Harry's tie, looking back into the green eyes as they flitted from his to some vague part of his face demurely. When it opened Harry gasped slightly at the freedom and Severus leaned back as he spread the fabric.

He feasted his eyes on what he remembered. The creamy skin, lithe muscles and dusky nipples. His hands were drawn to them involuntarily and the corner of his lip lifted slightly at Harry's hoarse moan when he pinched lightly.

"Tender?" He smiled crookedly, gently, at Harry's nod. Then moved his hands to the swollen stomach. His son. Now he was his son. He stroked along the full length of Harry's distended stomach, from one side of the hill to the other and smiled again, more introverted, as Harry laughed slightly and the baby moved under his hand.

"What…are you thinking about?" Harry asked quietly, relaxing under his calming hands.

"We need names. Nothing too muggle." He kissed the hill gently.

"I've got some. Mordecai and Alex and Ryan and Dylan and Sebastian and Luigi." Harry giggled softly at Severus' face. "What?"

"Mordecai is too…dark. And Alex? Ryan? Dylan? Muggle. Hell no, to Luigi. But I like Sebastian…" He stroked Harry's sides mindlessly. "My mother wanted to make that my middle name."

"Sebastian it is then. And…?" Harry's breathing hitched slightly as Severus' fingers smoothed over his inner thigh.

"Alexander. Alex is too plain muggle but Alexander isn't too bad. Sebastian Alexander Potter-Snape." He came back to himself, to a flushed and slightly breathless Harry, arching his hips into his hands.

"No complaints!" He squeaked out.

"I suppose it isn't fair to choose names with you in this position as you can't really voice any clear objections hmm?" But he sure as Hades wasn't going to stop!

"We've decided! _Don't stop_…" Harry groaned out. And he wasn't wanted to…

"I wasn't planning to." He whispered back with a wry smile and smirked at Harry's cry as his fingers finally wrapped around his erection.

"Gods! _It won't take much_. I feel like I've been…" He panted out trying to jerk into Severus' restrictive fist. "Half-hard all day!"

"Likewise." Severus grated out. And he was even harder now. Seeing Harry now. So beautiful. "Circe…" If it had to be done like this…He started to stroke Harry while rubbing off awkwardly against his leg.

"Don't…wait!" He paused as Harry's hands worked between them and with Seeker speed he was pulling Severus' robes from between their body with a blush. "It's easier…like this."

He stopped himself from shifting awkwardly as Harry's eyes trailed over him and held back the urge to fidget at his resultant flush.

Tentative fingers rose and traced along his shoulders and arms over muscle and scars, through the patch of hair on his chest, following the trail down…he grunted softly as a hand brushed hismember and Harry withdrew suddenly with a bright blush.

"Well."

"Don't revert to blushing virgin on me now, _please_." He caught the retreating hand and placed it on his stomach with a shudder. "Yes, I have one too."

"I know that!" Harry said indignantly, keeping the fingers on him light. "It's just…different."

"I should bloody well hope so. Malfoys are deficient. Well, Lucius was anyway."

"You _are_ longer. _Thicker_." He bit back a reply as Harry's fingers drifted down again. He hissed on contact and couldn't resist bucking into Harry's hand. "Feels different too." Harry squeaked. "Draco felt soft…even when he was hard. But the skin was smooth and tight like yours…" He gasped as Severus pushed his hips forward into his hands and went back to wanking Harry off.

"Stop…talking…" He leant gently over the baby and kissed Harry fervently, stroking hiserection between them. He kept kissing until Harry was whimpering under him and then groaned harshly as his arousal was gripped tighter. He pulled his lips away and slowed his strokes on Harry. "Do it like…this. Just like…this-_yesss_. Harder!"

They spent time just kissing, touching, letting their need build before coming back to getting off again. Until they were close.

_So bloody close_! He pressed his forehead against Harry's desperately trying to cling on as the need to climax battered him. His sight blurred as Harry finally arched under him and sobbed as wet heat spread between them. _Yes!_ He groaned as Harry's fingers squeezed him in a chain-reaction and Severus let go.

"_Love you!_"

* * *

A/N : I look at my other stories. Stare at them for minutes. I know what I want to write. But i can't make myself do it.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise. All HP characters and places belong to JK Rowling.

Chpt 15

**Days Like These**

Harry squeezed the body next to his with a whimper and tried to push more into the warmth. He felt something twinge sharply, whimpered again and wriggled backwards opening his eyes reluctantly.

Severus was lying next to him on his back, body loose in relaxation and one arm under Harry's neck holding him as close as possible with the hill of the baby between them. Harry moved forward again until the baby was pressed against Severus' side and rested his head on his chest with a satisfied smile.

He flushed lightly in the dim light of dusk and looked up at Severus' face. He felt happy. Safe, content and happy. This man had finally given him what he'd always wanted. A family. And surely…after all they'd been through, what he'd seen in that goblet and what they'd done last night, he could admit what he'd been feeling for awhile now was not just affection…

Harry's brow furrowed as he grunted and shifted at another little stab of pain. He let go of Severus and eased off his arm before rolling onto his back. He'd woken up because…green eyes widened suddenly as Harry realized.

"Severus!" Harry's hand reached out and grabbed and started shaking madly.

"Uhh. What…_Harry_?" He heard a rasped muttered curse as Severus rolled over to face him and stopped shaking him.

"Sev-er-us…wake up!" Harry's voice had an undercurrent of panic as he rubbed his stomach.

"I'm up. What-what's wrong?" Severus' face leaned over his, eyes narrowed and Harry felt his lip trembling.

"I think…I think I'm going into labor now." Harry gasped.

There was weighty pause for a moment before Severus' eyes widened.

"Shit." The next ten minutes was a blur of movements to Harry who had his eyes squeezed shut for most of the time while Severus hurried around, muttering 'shit' repeatedly. It'd be funny if he weren't a bit worried, Harry thought.

After easing Harry onto a levitating stretcher and gathering some things along with both their wands, Severus eased them through the halls and up the seven flights to the hospital wing. Considering the thing it had been easiest to get him back into were his bonding robes, Harry was glad no one was up to see this spectacle.

"Severus!" The long legs speeded up, making Harry's stretcher speed up and he sighed anxiously as they neared the hospital wing.

"Gods please, let Poppy be up!" Harry wailed from the stretcher. His stomach was giving him sharp pains at fifteen minute intervals, making him wonder how long he'd been in labor while asleep.

They burst into the hospital, it seemed after forever, and to his relief the light in Poppy's office was on. Severus levitated him from the floating stretcher to a bed gently, before hurrying away to Poppy's office to knock frantically on the door. Harry lay back and shut his eyes tightly, breathing through his pain.

_Everything had to be alright._

* * *

Poppy said for a first pregnancy, this was progressing rather quickly, but considering this was his first that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It would be over quicker. Easier for her to say. She didn't have a sharp jolt of pain as the baby tried to push out against his bladder or the contractions whenever, rarely, the baby calmed. And anyway, the baby was right on time, so there obviously weren't any problems concerning that. But that didn't really help while he was in mortal pain… 

"GODS!" Harry dragged in a breath desperately before screaming again. "IF DRACO MALFOY WERE HERE I'D KILL HIM!"

"It's okay Harry. Ssh, it's okay." Severus had a slightly twisted face as he leaned over Harry making him wonder what was wrong before he realized he was squeezing one of his hands viciously. He couldn't be arsed.

"Severus…" There was a short pause. "TELL HER TO GET THIS KID OUT OF ME _NOW_!" Harry screamed again.

"Madam Pomfrey said you're not ready yet. Harry please…" Harry sensed Severus' nervousness more than hearing it in his voice. "She's gone to get a Healer from St. Mungo's. She's left a potion I made…love, please drink it."

Surprise almost made Harry agree before the change to bladder-pushing instead of contraction pain reminded him of the situation. "Is it the numbing potion I asked for?" He asked breathlessly.

"Harry…" Severus hurried on as Harry took another deep breath. "You need a quick rest before you're ready to deliver so it'll make you sleep peacefully for an hour or so…"

"SNAPE, GET POPPY HERE NOW!"

* * *

After seeing just the beginning of the prep for the birthing process, Severus found himself outside of the hospital wing, having been deemed _useless, _of all things, by Pomfrey because he couldn't stop worrying enough to help or stay calm enough to soothe Harry. Whose anxiety it was sending _him_ over the edge. 

Pomfrey had silenced and locked the doors so he found himself at a loss for a moment before he shook himself into action. After sending off three quick owls, going back to the dungeons to prepare the baby's room and stalking up and down his chambers, Severus managed to stay away for an hour before rushing back up to the hospital wing.

He didn't know how the brats managed to do it but there were already two pacing in front of the hospital wing doors before eight with interesting ailments of 'furnunculous' boils and antler heads. The one with the antlers approached him cautiously as he stormed down the corridor and edged to the side as he stalked past.

"Umm, sir?"

"What?" Severus snapped turning on his heel to stare at the boy sharply.

"Uh, uh, the, uh…doors…locked." The boy stuttered backing away.

"The wing's closed, idiot pest! Are you blind or just…STUPID?" There was a long, pregnant pause as the boys stared and Severus took a deep breath. That had felt strangely good, yelling.

"S-s-ssorry…" Except for the Hufflepuff who was about to cry.

"Oh go get Flitwick to fix it! Are you that inept?" Severus snapped more quietly. "Inform the rest of your idiot friends that would dream of hexing or…practicing charms…on one another today they might have to hold it for twenty four hours."

"Ye-Yes sir!" The other boy, a Ravenclaw he thought, replied quickly before grabbing the other boy and running off.

Then he took the boy's place, pacing the floor in front of the doors.

"Severus?"

His head shot up and he scrambled up ungracefully from his slouched sitting position against the wall. "Pomfrey!"

"It's almost over. The Healer's about to fix Harry up." Madam Pomfrey opened the door with a small smile. "The baby's inside."

_His son._

He followed Poppy weakly as he led him inside and down the wing to the end near her office, to the last bed that was curtained.

"Harry's being healed up." Poppy smiled at his suddenly worried look. "No, he's fine."

"Can I see…" Then he went breathless. She'd gone over to a small, blue blanket-padded bassinet, sitting on a high table next to Harry's bed and lifted out a bundle carefully.

"Well?"

His, his and Harry's, son. He shut his eyes and held out his hands awkwardly for the child as Poppy helped him settle it into his arms.

His lips tightened slightly as he looked down at the child though. No, it wouldn't be easily forgotten he was Draco's by blood. The baby had the pale complexion of a Malfoy rather than a Snape even if he was more wide set than Draco's features and already pale, silky lockets were curled around the top of his head. Severus still couldn't resist touching the fragile skin caressingly or rubbing a little cheek, startling when the little eyes opened with a whimper.

Big, bright green eyes looked up guilelessly as the boy made a wet sniffling sound. Severus tried to smile, more quirking his lips and the baby stared before sighing and shutting his eyes again. Ever the Potter.

The Healer picked then to open Harry's curtains and bluster out proudly until he spotted Snape. "Oh! Err, Professor…?"

"Yes?" Severus asked coldly, still holding the boy.

"Ah," he looked from the child to the curtained bed then back to Snape. "Well, I guess…never mind. Madam Pomfrey! He's healed very well! The baby's also healthy. Uh, I must be going! Hope you can take it from here." The man gave a fake laugh hurrying to gather up his medical bag.

"What? Oh, leaving already Healer Wright? Could you get Healer Bigglewart to come with you tomorrow to have a look at the child then?" Madam Pomfrey followed the Healer into her office and Severus turned his attention back to the baby boy.

"Sebastian." He whispered, watching him sleep.

Quiet contentment settled heavily around him as he sat in the chair behind Harry's curtains next to the bed holding the boy, before he even realized it wasn't all his.

"Sev'rus." It was a low murmur from the bed.

He looked up and met tired, emerald green eyes. "Harry. Meet, Sebastian Alexander Potter-Snape." He smiled truly as he stood and gave the baby to Harry to hold.

"Oh," It was a quiet whisper and he could hear the awe and tinge of regret coloring the sound.

"He's perfect."

Harry looked away from the baby to Severus. "Do you really…?"

"Yes I do think so. You'll see. But let's not wake him now." Severus took the baby gently, moving to put him back into his bassinet. "You need to rest. You have some potions to take later and just some more sleep as your body sorts itself."

"I know…I feel tired." Harry muttered, voice heavy. "But…"

"I will be here when you wake up." Severus whispered, leaning back over the bed to kiss his husband softly. "Sleep."

"Sev…luh…"

Harry's head was lying limply on the pillow again as he slipped off from whatever the Healer had given him. Severus brushed his forehead lovingly before going to the baby and doing the same with a light thumb. Then he left the hospital wing.

* * *

He walked dazedly down to the Great Hall, winding the mostly empty corridors thinking about his brand new husband and son in shock. Yes, Severus Snape was shocked. He'd just acquired a family in less than twenty hours. 

_He had a husband and son! _

What was he supposed to do now? Was anything…supposed to change? He needed to learn how to take care of them, to show…affection properly. Especially for his son. He'd have to know of course that Severus wasn't his father by blood. No need to tell him a lot about Draco though. Just he was formerly family. Morgana…for now, just learning to care for a baby…deal with the here and now.

He pushed open the Great Hall doors slowly and stepped in with his dazed expression. Whispers started in the Hall as the nearer children noticed his expression and even a reed of concern was heard before he finally managed to croak out something.

"Albus." The anxious rasp echoed in the hall.

The Headmaster stood from the Head Table worriedly at his ragged tone. "Severus?"

"I…I'd like to announce the birth of Sebastian Alexander Potter…Snape. Potter-Snape." There was a sudden dead silence in the Hall. "Harry…Mr. Potter, my new husband, is doing well. All faculty members are welcome to visit later today." Severus cleared his throat. "Perhaps you want to come now though Albus?"

"I think I will." He twinkled, walking between the two middle tables of the Hall towards his Potions Master. "A lucky thing your marriage occurred yesterday."

Severus almost managed a lip curl as some children seemed to piece together the reception-like 'party' they'd had yesterday to the Headmaster's comment but he just turned and waited for Albus before shutting the doors on them. He noted the dull roar that had started behind the door but he just needed to talk with his...mentor now.

"I assume Harry is resting."

"Yes." Severus said quietly, walking slowly, half-dazed again. "He's fine. The baby's…fine. Perfect." He amended quietly.

Albus seemed to pause carefully for a moment. "The boy, he looks like…"

"He has Draco's complexion. And hair. But his features have Harry in them and his eyes…it's not natural."

"Lily's eyes." Severus shook his head adamantly to Albus' confusion.

"No. Harry's eyes." Albus smiled.

"So Harry really isn't up to seeing me now is he?" The old man twinkled as they climbed the stairs to the Hospital wing.

"No. But I wanted to talk to you. I need to. Albus…I've never felt so…_so_, before." Severus was irritated at his lack of clarity.

"You feel 'out to sea'."

"Yes! Yes. I have a husband! A son…a family." Severus indulged himself in a nervous habit andraked fingers through his hairroughly. "Is something supposed to change now? What am I to do? When the wizarding world finds out…when _Draco_ finds out…"

His tone had turned from worried to defensively angry as the new idea popped into his head and Albus smiled slightly.

"My dear boy, you already know what to do. _Protect_ them. Love them. Be there for them." The blue eyes crinkled. "Though I'd love to be able to say I'm the only one to have ever seen the unflappable Severus Snape fall apart, Harry and Sebastian need you now."

Severus stopped in the middle of the corridor and seemed to gather himself, taking deep breaths. "Yes. Yes, I'm…sorry."

"No problem at all my boy! If you went through it all with the ease of a butter knife I'd be worried about you. All this shows is that you're human Severus." Albus patted him on the shoulder as the way to the Hospital wing loomed. "You deserve this happiness. Go and sit with your child and husband. I'll return later with the rest of the faculty. I have some things to do. And…oh, dear, perhaps you should have gone back to your rooms to clean up and prepare a bit. After all, those owls you sent off last night…"

"Gods! Potter's friends will be here soon! The Weasleys…shit. Skeeter would have got her story out in today's edition! And I just told the whole _school_!"

"Yes. A lot of introducing of little Sebastian." Albus' smile widened as his eyes twinkled madly. "Do try not to go gray today. After all you're sure to have _more_ children someday…"

* * *

Harry had woken from his potion-induced sleep a couple of hours ago to feed the baby and take his potions before slipping off again. Severus was worried for him with how tired and disjointed he'd seemed but Poppy told him it was to be expected and his body was readjusting itself just fine. 

He was holding the baby as he drifted to sleep again, watching Harry and just settling himself, waiting for the bubble of peace to burst. He had no more than put the baby back in his bassinet gently and got behind a slightly smiling Harry to hold him as he slept, when the Hospital wing doors banged open suddenly and the Weasley clan poured in.

"Where's the new mama and the tyke?" Fred and George joked as they came down the wing.

"Lower your voices!" Severus scowled as Harry shifted in his arms and lowered his voice. "In here."

He heard the troop of footsteps from behind the curtain before it pulled aside slowly to show him a bunch of faces and a sea of red with a spot of brown here and there.

"Ohh!" Mrs. Weasley's voice sounded softly as she spotted the baby's temporary bed and she separated from the group to go and peer at him.

"Do try not to wake him yet. He's only been sleeping a few minutes since feeding." Severus sat up straighter behind Harry.

"Congratulations." Weasley offered, stepping around the curtain. Severus nodded curtly back.

"How is he? Harry? And the baby of course." Hermione asked quietly, sitting in his chair as her husband conjured one and told the two little girls to go on the other side of the curtain to play quietly with Fred and George.

"He's resting. Pomfrey said his body is reverting itself and he's just had a slew of potions, one of which was to help him sleep some more. Sebastian is just fine." Severus turned fond eyes to the baby nestled in Molly Weasley's arms with Arthur Weasley smiling down at him.

"Sebastian. That's a very nice name." Hermione smiled, looking at him and Harry on the bed together. "How do you feel? You don't have to answer if you don't wish to. It's just I know when I had our girls," she reached out and squeezed the red-head's hand making him turn slightly red. "I remember at first I felt so overwhelmed. Harry was there with us. Well Ron." Her smile turned smirk as she looked to her husband.

"I'm well. It caught up to me, yes, after I saw Harry and my son earlier this morning but…I spoke to Albus." Severus looked down at the tangled nest of hair before him and lowered his chin to Harry's head gently. "I may not have been the one to give birth but I felt overwhelmed too. Harry is my husband now and Sebastian is my son…and,"

"And you have a family now. It's not just you. You have to think about them too." Arthur nodded as he joined them by the bed. "I know how I felt when I married Molly with Bill on the way. Mind Bill didn't come the next day!"

Severus' mouth twisted as he snorted lightly into Harry's hair. "I have no problem at all with when my son came. I can only be glad it was after the marriage was officiated. That was the most important thing."

"He looks…awfully like that…Malfoy boy." Molly ventured quietly as the conversation had trailed off.

Severus waved her over with a hand before reaching out to Sebastian and stroking a pale cheek gently. The baby whined and its thin eyelids fluttered for a moment before the eyes opened sleepily.

"Oh my." Molly cried down at the baby in shock. "His eyes are green!" The face scrunched turning into Severus' hand before he shut his eyes again and Severus pulled his hand away.

"That's unusual. Newborns usually have blue eyes before they turn green." Hermione edged closer.

"He's Harry's." That was explanation enough. "_And_ mine. Not Draco's. In any way."

He looked to Hermione as she frowned at him but then a crash occurred outside the curtain, startling Sebastian back up with a low cry.

"Oh!" Molly cried exasperatedly as she stormed around the curtain to find Fred and Maria frozen over the remains of a shattered lamp on the floor. George and Melissa were on the other side pointing to them with comic faces.

"Uh, sorry about that." Fred laughed. "Hey, is that the baby? Heir to half of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes throne?"

"Yes! And you just woke him!" Molly admonished as the baby's cry reached an even higher pitch.

"Please!" Severus said just a touch above his normal level as Harry moaned and rolled over onto his side, against his chest. "Bring him here."

"Oh! I'm sorry." Molly tutted as she handed Sebastian over and went back behind the curtain. "The four of you. Out, out, out! Fred, George, show the girls around the school or something."

"I better go with them." Arthur said quickly. "No telling what they will get into."

Severus held the baby as Harry propped on his shoulder and arm, and talked to it quietly until the cries stopped and the verdant green eyes were blinking at him languidly again.

"Some people sing. He recites potions ingredients. No wonder the kid looks sleepy so fast." Ron quipped softly.

"At least he will know what to use in a simple healing salve before the age of five." Severus shot back with a scowl. He held a small hand back as it tried to whack out at Harry's head and smirked at the child before whispering. "No hitting Daddy. Not without a heavy implement in your hand Sebastian."

"Teaching him to abuse me already?" Harry's amused voice murmured from pressed against his robes. Severus felt a hand squeeze his thigh and thankfully Hermione thought fast and took the baby from him as Harry shifted over, blinking up fuzzily.

"Mm, hey guys. Hi Mrs. Weasley." Harry scrubbed at his face with his hands as he yawned, flushing slightly. "Gods. Sorry I'm not more presentable…"

Hermione laughed, shifting the baby carefully into the crook of her arm as she leaned over to kiss Harry lightly. "You're never presentable anyway. Oh! How do you feel? It's so good to see you up. Harry, the baby's beautiful!"

Harry smiled bashfully as he pushed himself up against him. "I'd hope so." Severus tightened an arm around him as Harry molded to his front. "I've not really held him that much. I've been sleeping. I'm okay, just tired."

"That's okay dear. I'd expect you'd be tired." Molly looked at him protectively. "You looked so content there sleeping."

Harry turned his head up to look at Severus who was looking down at him evenly. "Then I probably was." Severus blinked before quirking the corner of his mouth and Harry smiled up.

"I swear, earlier when I woke up…after the Healer left, when I saw you with Sebastian I thought I was seeing the scene from in my chalice at the wedding only I was watching from the bed."

"I felt you. You felt happy." Severus said quietly.

"I was. I am." Severus felt as rush of love as Harry's eyes crinkled up at him and he kissed his forehead gently.

Hermione gave them a minute before holding the baby out to Harry. "We're going to go outside and give you a few minutes alone. Besides, we caught the Prophet before we came. It's got your marriage announcement on the front page."

"We expect we'll have to help you hold off the press and fans. Not to mention…" Ron trailed off.

Severus stiffened but Harry held his hand as Hermione settled the baby into the crook of his other arm.

"Stay with us. Draco isn't getting in here."

The Potions Master let his body unwind again and settled back behind his husband and child. "Okay."

"We'll be back." Molly straightened the bottom of the bed sheet automatically. The last thing she did was set the baby's bassinet next to Severus on the bed before following Ron and Hermione out.

There was silence for a moment as Harry held the baby looking down at it's sleeping face before looking up at him.

"I suppose this isn't the ideal honeymoon."

"Perhaps not. But who knows what ideal is. If we are happy, that's all that matters yes?" Severus lifted one arm from Harry's waist to tangle in his hair, combing out the locks.

"Are you? Are you really?" Harry said quietly looking away again.

"Yes I am!" Severus said firmly. "I told you earlier Sebastian is perfect. And he is. Look at him."

"He looks like Draco." Harry whispered under his breath. "He's perfect because he came from me. He's my son. But he's undeniably…"

"Yours Harry! Mine and yours! Look at his eyes Harry." He reached out and pushed the pale locks on the top of the baby's head, making it let out a soft whine as its eyes opened once more.

Harry paused. "He has my eyes. My mum's."

"Yes. He's got your features. He's pale but I'm pale too."

"But you're not blonde." Harry said sadly.

"If everyone insists on dragging Draco back into this we'll spell his hair black! Harry! He is our son! _Ours_! Not Draco's!"

Harry shifted to put the baby into his bed and Severus stood to move him back to the high table.

"Severus I'm not trying to bring Draco back into it all the time…I don't mean to, it's just…he is. By blood."

"If you don't want him to be, we can Blood Bond him to me." Severus said settling back onto the bed. "I just don't want Draco in his life. At all. I'd rather not tell him I'm not his father."

"Please. Please, I don't want to talk about this anymore." Harry squeezed his eyes shut. "Just hold me. I just want to rest while you hold me."

Severus' lips thinned as he wrapped his arms back around his husband and they laid down together but softened again as Harry wrapped arms back around him and snuggled into his neck. He puffed hotly against his neck letting out a sigh and Severus felt a shiver of arousal skitter down his spine suddenly.

He knew Harry had felt his swelling arousal when he stopped snuggling into him. "I'm still irritated with you." The professor rasped out.

The green eyes looked up, laughing impertinently. "A happy-irritated right?"

Severus growled and cupped Harry's chin tilting it up. He kissed his husband once, twice, softly, before holding him tightly. "Rest. Everything will still be here later."

Severus would have been surprised to know he fell asleep even before Harry did.

* * *

A/N: I've updated people! For all of you, but especially Dry Remains who sent me a nice PM to keep me going. Though I'm sure all of you who threatened me in some way to keep writing meant well too...ehe #straightens suspiciously thick vest#

Anyway, I know you guys will have a hard time believing this but a few long overdue for updating stories will be ready soon. Nella and Tricks. I believe Soullessness is really done for now until I'm free from my other stories to write it over properly. Runespoor and Oblivion are still being reviewed by myself as I've faced some criticism for both and am rethinking some things. Incubus, I'm just being lazy, as with this. These two should really be done by now. but I'll finish. I swearI will.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise. All HP characters and places belong to JK Rowling.

Chpt 16

**Days Like These**

Albus had returned to the Infirmary to find the new family sleeping so had sent Fawkes back down to Hermione and Ron with a note telling them. They hadn't been wrong when they had guessed they would be having to help the staff fight off reporters, well-wishers and fans, even a few curious students as the day progressed. The Prophet had a full page devoted to Rita's story on Severus' and Harry's wedding and unfortunately some kids had managed to get out owls telling their families about 'that git having a kid!' or rather Harry having given birth, hence Snape now having a child. Soon that too would get out and then…

Albus could fend off reporters and well-wishers easily with excuses of Harry being tired. But he was waiting for Draco Malfoy to show up as he was sure he would.

And he was not disappointed.

They had made it to afternoon, fighting off a flurry of inquisitive fans too with a pale but happy Harry holding Sebastian, to show him off to the staff and friends allowed, when Albus came back and gestured Severus over to the Infirmary doors.

"Yes?" Severus looked inquisitively at the Headmaster, half his attention still back on the bed where Harry was touching their son reverently. "Has the interior decorator contacted you about the furniture for the house? If he has tell him…"

"It isn't the decorator Severus." Albus lowered his voice and leaned into the professor, eyes serious. "Draco Malfoy is downstairs in the lobby." Severus' heart jumped into his throat abruptly. "Strange enough it does not seem that he knows about the birth of the child but he's come to investigate rumors of your Bonding."

"The despicable, traitorous…!"

"Severus." Albus started placating. "You need to calm down to think sufficiently ingeniously. It would be best to maneuver this, at least for Mister Malfoy, for him to not realize Harry has delivered until tomorrow when you two go to court. He couldn't take the baby from you now, true. But he is detrimental to Harry's health."

The Potions Master looked back into the room at Harry who was mouthing something inaudibly to Sebastian and the baby probably opened his eyes or made some small noise, bringing a breathtaking smile to Harry's face. Today was their day, and Draco Malfoy wouldn't be bothering them.

"I'll go downstairs and deal with it." Severus took a deep breath turning back to the Headmaster. "Thank you Albus."

"No problem, my boy. No problem." The blue eyes were twinkling again as Albus moved on.

Severus made his way down to the lobby, gathering himself mentally for having a civil talk with his new husband's ex-fiancé. He twisted the Bonding ring off his finger lovingly and slipped it into the pocket of his robes as he drew closer to his meeting with the vermin. And child abandoner. And premarital cheat. And his former godson.

"Professor Snape." The glacial tone of Draco Malfoy's drawl met him at the bottom of the flight and he made his way down with a dignified if condescending glare.

"Are you sure you should be here without your lawyer? Isn't this a breach of proceedings or some such?"

"I'm paying a social visit to my pregnant ex to see if he's well with our child." Draco smiled coldly, a small, smug curl of the lips at the stab of truth. "It has nothing directly to do with the case. That is, if the rumors are untrue."

"Lowered yourself to listening to the servants' mutters?" The Potions Master glowered raising himself to his full height.

"Well the Prophet could almost be considered in worth, equal to the servant's gossip, but no, my source is our esteemed newspaper. On which there is a page, the front I believe, that says…Harry has married you?" Draco spoke with an air of assurance. "I believe that this is impossible. Given as to the fact he's with my child and we merely broke up six months ago."

"He's moved on." Severus hissed, anger boiling. If this rodent thought he could somehow weasel himself back into Harry's life…

"With you?" Malfoy snorted. "If it truly is true, which I still cannot believe, my time with Harry was wasted. All the etiquette and lessons he had on the decorum of purebloods…wasted if he now turns to not only laying with the likes of you but marrying…"

"SILENCE!" His yell of rage echoed thought the hall and Severus' anger paused to realize the cry had come from his own mouth. Was he really so lacking in control? He shouldn't rise to Draco's taunts so easily.

"Volatile temper. Tsk, tsk Severus. And my child might be raised around you?" Draco's eyes sparkled with malicious glee. "I think not. So get that ridiculous rag to remove your fake announcement. My son won't be born a _Potter-Snape_." Draco spat the last. "He's a Malfoy."

He's not to know…he's not to know. Severus took a deep breath and arranged his face into a cold smirk. "Oh but he will be a Potter-Snape. Go to the Ministry if you doubt me. I believe a contract was _officiated_ last night with mine and _Harry's_ name on it." Severus purred his husband's name with an easy familiarity he knew would drive Draco to distraction. Of course it worked.

The gray eyes suddenly turned vicious. "I refuse to believe you actually bedded my…!"

"Ah, ah. Mine Draco. And a sweet morsel too. It was worth lowering myself to taking seconds. In fact, I believe it fit to call you an ignoramus for throwing him away in the first place. I still don't understand that Draco. Why?"

"That's none of your fucking business!" Draco snapped his cloak agitatedly, taking a step closer. "You didn't really do it! He's almost due."

"I'll pretend you actually have some care for the child you were willing to abandon. No, we didn't have intercourse. But as I said…he _is_ a delicious morsel. And there are other ways to officiate a contract."

"Pureblood rules…" Draco's angry flush had turned into a pale blanche.

"Neither of us are purebloods." Severus cut him off flatly.

"How could my father put…_you,_ you…thing, as my godfather?" Draco's voice had risen to a shout by now.

"I too wish he hadn't." Severus sneered. "If that's all I can escort you to the door. Your attempts at insulting me are getting repetitive."

"I didn't throw him away! He overreacted to a simple…mistake."

"I do not need to hear your ridiculous excuses and neither does Harry. So do go. Don't owl us. We'll not owl you."

"My son will not be yours!" Draco hissed stepping into his personal room before backing off just as quickly. "If he could remarry so easily the street urchin has no sense of deep feeling at all. In a year it'll be _you_ on the curb Snape!" Then in a swirl of expensive cloak, Draco exited the castle doors.

Thank God Draco didn't know how deep Severus feared Harry's feelings ran. The straight back slouched slightly as the defensive pose relaxed and depression crept in. Harry might still…deep down, feel some form of…affection for that…piece of crap. And supposed if with him he really did overcome it, what was to say he wouldn't move on with some other man?

The potion. Didn't the potion prove he was what Harry wanted now?

'_For now.'_

"Severus my boy." A hand landed on his shoulder, jolting him to awareness. "Mister Malfoy is a very good duelist is he not? He knows where to hit."

"Yes he does Albus. Yes, he does." Severus let out a weary sigh through his nose.

"It's not a chink in your armor to love Harry. It's a more powerful weapon than your greatest rage. Remember that and…Harry saw you in his goblet. You aren't a passing fancy. If you want to remain his focus you must simply hold onto your love. Embrace it. Nurture it." Albus' hand gave him a strong clap to the back. "Now come, your husband waits anxiously."

Sebastian had been placed back in his bassinet and Harry was indeed sitting up on the bed distressed.

"Severus?" His voice was tremulous as he called out to him across the wing and Severus was at once attentive, hurrying to his side.

"Yes Harry?" He slipped behind his husband on the bed and held him gently.

"Was it…Draco? Did you…?" Harry twisted to look at him and Severus looked into those deep green, worried eyes. "Are you okay?"

"I am well. And I did nothing to him." Severus finished tightly, looking away. "He does not know about his child's birth." Harry flinched and tried to pull away but Severus shut his eyes apologetically and held him tighter. "I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

"I understand." Harry said, voice teary. "It's not fair you have to deal with him all the time and I'm sure…what he says to you is not nice."

"But I have no reason to take it out on you." Severus leant forward to kiss a cheek lightly. "I'm sorry. Please, I did not mean to bring his poisonous vitriol in here to make you unwell."

Harry smiled wanly, still a bit pale. "I'm fine. Just tired Poppy said. But I feel as if I've been sleeping for ages already. I guess it'll just take time for me to get back one hundred percent."

"You've lost that delicious peach flush you usually have." Severus nuzzled his husband's neck and smirked as Harry whined and wriggled his neck away. "Do something for me?" Severus whispered against the shell of Harry's ear.

"Anything." Harry said softly a smile on his face. Severus felt his heart clench…and relax. He could almost believe at times like this that Harry could love him.

"Sleep some more." Harry laughed softly and snuggled in against his body in agreement. Ten minutes later he had relaxed against hid body and was drifting off. Severus kissed the top of his messy head.

He would stop thinking negatively. It affected Sebastian and Harry and there was no surer way to drive them away. He loved Harry and he was sure with time and showing that to Harry...he could love him too. After that, what would come would come.

* * *

Harry woke slowly, wriggling against the long body under his sleepily. He felt Severus stirring slowly, in more ways than one, and with a lethargic smile he pushed his hips into his and rocked.

"UmmMm…" His eyelids shifted and twitched as he woke slowly. Harry propped his head up, chin on Severus' chest and kept pushing back against him. "Uhh…"

Severus' waking was a slow thing. His lids fluttered open, drooped, lifted slowly again and then stopped at half-mast as he squinted sleepily at Harry. "What are…"

"I'm helping you." He gave Severus a dopey grin as the man groaned.

"Harry…" He ignored the growl and shifted over so his hand could get to the bulge in Severus' trousers. "You, _ah_…oh," Lean hips worked up as Severus squeezed his eyes shut. "_Shouldn't!_"

"Ssh." Harry kept his eyes on Severus' face and watched the myriad expressions that flitted across it as he grew closer to release. His brows had furrowed, tucked almost together as he frowned hard, body trembling as he worked himself into Harry's hand. Harry knew exactly when he was going to come. He'd seen the almost innocently reverent/pleasured/relieved expression on their wedding night.

Severus' breathing finally hitched, paused and he gasped as he felt his husband's arousal throbbing in his hand through the cloth of his pants. When his breathing calmed and his body was lax, Severus let out a heavy sigh and opened his eyes.

"Pleasant nap?" Harry chirped cheekily even though his cheeks were red. "It's late afternoon. Probably around supper." He added helpfully.

Severus grunted and reached out for Harry's bedside table, fingers searching. He found his wand and cleaned himself with a lazy wave before putting it back. "Thank you my minx." He pulled Harry close and gave him a slow kiss that made his toes curl.

"Welcome." Harry whispered back, snuggling into his husband. He didn't know why he'd done that. But it had felt right. And Severus needed reassurance. It had only been proven earlier today…

Almost as if he could read his mind, long fingers tilted his chin up until he met those dark eyes. They were still satisfied but now concern shone there too. "I hope you didn't do that to…to try to appease me or something such over Draco."

"No. I just felt like it." Harry smiled. "I want you to know that I-we, we're in this together and…and even if Sebastian is Draco's by blood he's your son. Blood isn't everything. It's what you do. And you've taken care of me and Bast. And I'm so very grateful."

"You don't have to feel in debt to me." Severus said gruffly letting go of his chin and looking away. "I don't supposed you actually considered what I said about Blood Bonding myself to Sebastian?"

"I…I thought you just said it in the heat of the moment. I mean…!" Harry sat up and twisted to look at him. "If you really want to…I…?"

"Do you want to?" Severus pushed. "Do you want me to be his father?"

"Severus. I already think you are." Harry's eyes were sad as he kissed his lover lightly and pulled away to stare into his eyes. "Why can't you see blood doesn't matter. He'll be raised as our son. If we tell him about Draco, so be it. But he will always be ours. Honestly, the reason I don't think we should do the Blood Bond is that it would be lying to him. He has a right to know if he ever wants to who he is. And I assure you Severus. Even if he knows Draco is related to him by blood, his heart will know who his real father is."

Harry hoped Severus could see the truth of his heart in his eyes and it seemed as if he did because he smiled finally, an open true smile that made Harry grin in return.

He plopped a quick kiss on his husband. "Now, what do we have to do to get some service in here?" he said, mock-strictly.

"Poppy wouldn't like to hear you think of her as your waitress Harry my boy." Albus swept in cheerfully.

"Albus!" Harry smiled widely. "You've been in and out all day and never stopped to see me or Sebastian."

"Too many people to show in to coo over your lovely child Harry." The wise blue eyes turned to Severus. "And how are you?" Harry looked between them as something seemed to pass and Severus inclined his head after a pause.

"I'm well Albus."

"Good my boy. Good. Because your decorator is in my office having a fit. All your furniture and ornaments and fixtures came to the house and no one was there to collect it but the men left the furniture all over the place. You're lucky it didn't rain in the country today or that huge antique four poster you bought would have been for naught."

"What?" Harry smiled amused as Severus shot up from behind him. "Imbeciles! They left that on the lawn of all things?"

"So it seems. You might have to go fetch the moving guys from their agency to get them to move the things around for the decorator now. You have about…oh, half hour."

Harry frowned. "Oh but…we can't eat together then."

"The Halloween Ball is going on at present anyway. You'll have to eat up here." Severus looked over Harry and to the baby bassinet. "Albus could you have one of the elves bring up a meal for Harry and a sandwich and tea for me? I can eat with you love and then head to the agency. But after I leave perhaps you could take some Dreamless Sleep and rest for the night after feeding Sebastian. Tomorrow morning we can get you back into my quarters where you belong." Severus said the last to Harry before kissing him softly.

"An excellent idea my boy!" Albus clapped. "I'll do it right away." And he was gone without them even noticing.

"Mm," Harry withdrew with a low moan to the surprise of his body stirring weakly. "Gods, Severus…"

"I'd love to return your earlier favor but time is short. We must eat and then you will sleep. I still don't like your complexion." Long fingers traced along his cheekbone. "And tomorrow…"

Harry whispered. "The trial. I have to go to Bigglewart for my court-requested checkup too."

"So you will need your sleep." The elf picked then to join them and deposited a tray laden with food next to Harry's bed. Severus placed it over him carefully. "I don't want you to worry at all tonight Harry. We're here with our son, it's a beautiful night and we can't hear the noisy brats from here. What more could we want?"

Harry quirked a smile as he accepted a brushed thumb over his mouth. "An emphatic win in court tomorrow over Draco."

* * *

It really was a good thing he'd gone to bed early at Severus suggestion. The next morning he woke to worry about Sebastian to be informed that for the first couple of days there would be no night crying so there was nothing to worry about and to be grateful. Then Severus came quite early to collect him from the infirmary with Sebastian. Back in their quarters he fed Sebastian and himself as Severus fussed over the baby room and the things Harry would need today with him, having eaten already. A stuffed to overfilling diaper bag was deposited next to him by the couch, with a spare everything, before Severus finished, watching him tending their son. Which led to a slow make out session that had him wavering between outright raw lust and arousal tinged with nervousness. By the time they pulled away from each other they were both flushed and ruffled.

"So…where do you have to go first?" Severus cleared his throat, making room between them on the couch.

Harry gave him a fond smile. "We can jump each other later. Come back here so I can cuddle." He ignored the wavering undertone in his voice and gave Severus a cocky grin. Which, he obviously didn't buy as he slid right back next to him and wrapped him in a tight hug.

"Everything will be okay." Severus' voice was firm as it washed over Harry. "No judge will let Draco's shaky at best story get your child from you. I'll even go there early and talk with Pearson to make sure everything is okay. You don't need to worry about that. You're going to have Sebastian checked over again?"

"Yes, Healer Bigglewart is the best in wizarding child birth. And he's doing my magical check anyway so I figured might as well do it all!" Harry let out a nervous laugh. "If I'm late Draco doesn't automatically win right?"

"Don't." Severus tilted his chin up and pierced him with his eyes. "Don't torture yourself with ridiculous suppositions. Draco will not have your son."

"I have to stop. I know." Harry took deep breaths. "I'm just so scared. I can't help it."

"I am with you even if I'm not physically there. Have you forgotten our Bond? You are not alone." The 'And I love you' went unsaid. Harry felt tears stinging his eyes.

"I've…I've got to go now. I'm late." He grabbed the baby bag and scooped up Sebastian's baby carrier, folded robes over his arm. "I'll see you in the court room."

Harry hurried from their quarters, from Hogwarts and caught the Knight bus in Hogsmeade to take him to London, and St. Mungo's.

* * *

A/N: blinks...you know people...this is so close to done. I'm going to miss it. i've got a sequel in mind already but i can't start it til some of my other stories are done...I promised you some updates right guys? Welllllllllll, they are sort of delayed. Since I'm trying to finish this up. But I am writing again! The block is gone! #grins widely# And isn't that good news?

#ducks flying rotting vegetables#


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise. All HP characters and places belong to JK Rowling.

Chpt 17

**Days Like These**

Severus was seated behind Pearson in the audience and at only an hour into the proceedings he found he wished nothing more than to stride over to the other side of the courtroom and strangle Draco Malfoy.

His laywer solidified on his pre-trial argument by harping on the one flaw in Harry's case, his magical disturbances. He called into question a stable homelife. He queried Harry's ability to nurture a child…this one in particular sent a vein in Severus' temple throbbing, how could Malfoy question Harry's ability to nurture when he was the one who abandoned them!?

When Pearson took over from Hickson, Severus stiffened in his seat.

"Firstly I'd like to rebuff that laughable attempt of my combatant at bringing my client's ability to raise his child into question. Mr. Potter has managed just fine the seven months without Mr. Malfoy's…_help_. Secondly, and connected, Mr. Potter can provide a stable homelife, I'm sure more stable than Mr. Malfoy's is sure to be…" Pearson's eyes wandered over to Pansy Zabini-Malfoy nee Parkinson overtly before he looked back at the judge lazily. "Mr. Potter has built a formidible home for his child. He can provide for his child. And if Mr. Malfoy's representation feels need to call into question the need for two parents to nurture a child…Mr. Potter has recently married to Mr. Snape." Pearson gestured vaguely to him behind him and Severus smiled cuttingly at Draco as the grey eyes narrowed in on his Bonding ring.

His own eyes narrowed at Draco as he leaned over to his lawyer to whisper something to him. Probably about tearing him apart in the character assessment area. He snorted under his breath.

"You will notice your Honor, the lack of Mr. Potter's presence. This is because he is currently seeking the Healer you advised him to visit for a check-up on his child. So we wish to leave his character assessment for last."

Van Gosser raised an eyebrow before nodding shortly. "As you wish."

"We are now willing to move on to the character assessment area…I will hand over to my _esteemed_ colleague, Mr. Hickson." Pearson gave a mocking half-bow before sitting.

Hickson glared across the room to Pearson before standing. "We would firstly like to call…Mr. Remus Lupin."

Severus turned eyes to the werewolf who he assumed had been buying his Wolfsbane for the past seven months. Lupin looked a wraith of himself, haggard to the extreme as he walked haltingly to the dock.

He was sworn in under a light Wizard's Oath and mildly dosed with veritaserum.

"Mr. Lupin, would you state for us your relationship to Harry Potter…Snape, and Draco Malfoy?"

"My relationship to Harry Potter is that of his adoptive godfather…and to Draco Malfoy as a…former lover." The courtroom started to murmur lowly in the background but Hickson continued.

"So it is true that you slept with your godson's fiance?" Hickson smiled viciously as the phrasing of the question made Lupin flinch, but he still answered yes. "Do you have a reason for your actions Mr. Lupin or is your character so base we can simply say you have no morals?"

"I was not the instigator of our…our relations. Mr. Malfoy attacked me at a time when my emotions were malleable and coerced me into a…union, that night in question." Remus looked down in shame.

"So would you have us excuse your actions under the excuse of _malleable emotions_? Or do you expect pity for your disease? Because you're a werewolf you're helpless to when someone _attacks_ you…"

"I want no pity and expect no forgiveness…" Remus' eyes met Severus' here and a simple apology was offered which Severus accepted with a nod of his head.

"I would expect not. After all Mr. Lupin…can you continue to claim coercion for the next…five or is it six months you spent as Mr. Malfoy's bed partner?"

"I claim manipulation." Remus' amber eyes glared at Draco. "And I would be more than happy to relate the details of what brought me the sense to finally leave this excuse for a human being."

"No name calling Mr. Lupin." Hickson reproached in an oily voice. "After all one could say the same of you."

"Mr. Hickson…"

"Sorry your Honor." Hickson tapped his papers and smiled back up at Lupin. "Yes, the much anticipated tale of how Mr. Malfoy tried to kill Mr. Potter. Please, weave your yarn."

"It's the truth. I heard Draco in the study while I was in the library of my home, Grimmauld Place. He had spent the day with me…anyway, it was evening and he said he had a firecall to make and at the time I was going to go upstairs but I returned for a text. I overheard Draco from the other room, due to my enhanced sense of hearing. He was talking to someone about a package that had been delivered to Hogwarts and told the man, and I quote this next part, he "wasn't supposed to be trying to kill Harry, just getting rid of the baby". After Draco finished his firecall and left the room I ran in and used it to contact Severus. Severus Snape, who Harry was staying with."

"Correct me, Severus Snape is also a former lover of yours?" Hickson interrupted maliciously. "Do you get around with all your godson's acquaintances?"

Remus mouthed soundlessly for a moment before reigning himself in tightly. "That was previous to his and Harry's relationship."

"Ah okay. I was beginning to get the idea you're promiscuous." Hickson hurried on over Remus' spluttering. "From what you claim, if what you claim is even the truth, Draco was not in fact trying to kill Mr. Potter since as you said in your quote, his attempt was to kill the child. Supposedly."

"But his attempt almost killed Harry too! And this court case is to decide whether he should have that child! The same child he tried to kill!" Remus looked to the judge beseechingly. "I don't care if he drags my name through the mud! Maybe it's what I deserve after what I've done but I will not allow that man, who was willing to risk Harry's life to get rid of _his own child_, to now lay claim on that baby!"

"Mr. Lupin it's time you stepped down. You're over emotional and getting irrational. There is no proof of your claims and…Mr. Pearson you don't want this witness again?"

"No. We've had his testimony of our point."

"Therefore, have Mr. Lupin's _testimony_ struck from the record. His character assessment is over." Van Gosser looked pensive before nodding.

"Mr. Lupin's testimony is struck from the record. Call your next witness Mr. Hickson."

* * *

Harry was quietly nervous as he waited in Healer Bigglewarts office, holding Sebastian carefully against his shoulder as he looked around the office. He seemed even busier than he had last time Harry had been here for just the prenatal check on Sebastian.

Harry navigated past his desk that was overflowing with piles of papers and folders and sat in a comfy chair with Sebastian still cradled carefully against him. The dazed green eyes opened occasionally but mostly Sebastian was still a quiet child.

Finally ten minutes later Healer Bigglewart came rushing in.

"I'm terribly sorry Mister Potter! Here is like a madhouse. The Directors have got me and the other Healers in this department working together and it's making things worse instead of better!"

"Yeah. I can see that." Harry gave a wanly amused smile as he looked over the mess of a table the Healer was sat behind. "By the way, I had wanted to speak to Healer Wright…"

"Ah, he's not in today. He's one of my colleagues too as well you see." Bigglewart gestured to the largest pile to his right. "I've got his files too for the day. It's madness. Utter madness. Basically Healers shuttling their work from one person to another. And with that you're not even getting your own quota done." He shook his head. "Anyway I apologize again for the wait. Now," he stood pulling his wand and rounding the desk to Harry. "Let's examine, Sebastian, first?"

"Yes, that's his name." Harry stood slowly, confused. He must have spoken to Healer Wright. "Well, he doesn't really cry much. Only when he's hungry, tired or soiled really. And he sleeps surprisingly well."

"Hmm…" The wand was running a diagnostic over the baby, humming softly as it was run over him repeatedly. "I see. Well keep an eye on that. The trauma you went through, the poisoning you know, might have affected him. We don't want a SID."

Harry's grip on Sebastian almost tightened but he took a deep breath. "We woke him in the night. Severus and I can't help it. We go to look at him but sometimes he's so quiet. So…that shouldn't happen right?"

"You don't want to interrupt his sleep pattern either." The Healer looked up with a jolly smile. "Don't worry Mister Potter, your son's healthy as a threstral. SID is very rare among wizarding babies so yours will be absolutely fine. He's got steady vitals, already a strong magical core and the listlessness will be gone soon. Soon you'll be wishing for it back."

Harry gave a weak smile. "As long as he's fine I don't care if he screams Hogwarts down."

"Let me do your magical check next yes? I need to go fetch the papers sent to me from the Ministry though. There's some form I'm supposed to fill in as I do this scan on you…" Healer Bigglewart muttered absentlymindedly. "Be right back Mister Potter. Sit, sit. Be comfortable."

Harry blinked as the man rushed back out again. He was kidding when he said it was a madhouse in here was he? Harry was about to sit when his curiousity got the better of him. He wondered if in Healer Wright's files there was anything about Sebastian. Healer Bigglewart mentioning SID and his poisoning had put him on edge.

Did he perhaps not want to tell him something might be wrong with Bast? Harry bit his lip, moving Sebastian to his hip as he sidled up to the desk. He'd just give the files a quick lookover…

And of course Sebastian picked then to wake, making a small mewl of dissatisfaction at the movement and kicking and hitting out weakly with fists and feet.

"Bast!" Harry admonished softly. The files on the uppermost part of the stack went scattering and Harry groaned. Wonderful. He settled Bast into his carrier and locked him in before hurrying back to the desk.

Fix and look. Fix and look. No…nothing on Pot-_Malfoy?_ Harry paused, holding a file in his hand he'd been about to stuff back. "Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy?" Why would she be going to a child-birth wizarding Healer…unless… The former Gryffindor almost dropped the file in shock. Was she pregnant? Why would Draco accept a baby from _her_ and not from him?!

No, it made no sense. Harry shook his head and opened the file. She couldn't be pregnant. Of course not because that'd just be pouring salt in the old wound wouldn't it…

There was silence for a long moment and Harry was glad Bigglewart came back ten minutes later to find him sitting quietly in his chair, bouncing Bast. No one but the irritated baby had heard him shout about 'the fucking bastard' and Bigglewart would never miss the one file. He might even thank him if he knew it was leaving his office in Bast's baby bag.

Harry left in time to make it to the courtroom before the day's adjourment, his own results and stolen file in hand.

* * *

"We're reaching the end of the day your Honour and the Defendent is nowhere in sight. I do hope he hasn't left the country with the baby still in…" Just as Hickson was about to finish his third attempt to goad the Judge into closing for the day, the doors banged open.

Severus turned hoping it was Harry, to find his new husband standing in the doorway holding Sebastian in his arms.

"Terribly sorry to be late." Severus watched him walk forward deliberately slowly, placing the baby bag and carrier with Hermione who was behind him, before handing Sebastian over carefully to him.

"What took you so long?" He whispered anxiously, taking the dozing baby into his arms. "It wasn't supposed to take so long to get checked."

"The Healer was rather rushed. The department's a madhouse apparently." Harry sounded funny. Dispassionately…sardonic. Something had gone wrong.

"Harry…"

"Draco doesn't look very surprised to see me with baby in hand does he? Hm. Pearson I'm ready to go up." Harry turned a smile to their lawyer, leaving Severus floundering. He grabbed two files from the baby bag with Hermione before he went up.

What the hell…But it was done and once the Judge agreed to continue proceedings Harry was on the stand.

"Well, finally Mister Potter." Hickson started for the Prosecutor's side. "What we've been waiting for all day. We've had other people do your character assessment all day really. How would you describe yourself?" The smarmy man smiled maliciously.

"Usually I'm your run of the mill stubborn, reckless, bruteheaded Gryffindor, as my husband would tell you freely…but otherwise I can be calm, cautious, loyal, cunning…and fiercely protective of me and mine." Harry said, eyes narrowing on the Plantiff's table. "I'd say I have the character of a normal person. Nothing particularly threatening or violent about me if that's what you're asking."

"Yet, as your side likes to remind us, you defeated…Voldemort." Hickson himself grimaced around the word and several people in the room still flinched. "No faint of heart person could have done that."

"If you believe in prophecies…if I had grown up faint of heart I still would have defeated him. But I didn't have the best of childhoods. In relation to Voldemort I simply did what this world expected me to do."

"Very well. Yet Mister Malfoy, and you yourself admitting to this, says you have had incidents of your magic…exhibiting Dark qualities."

"Why yes. In fact, as requested by," Harry turned a brilliant smile to the Judge. "Your Honour Van Gosser, I've my medical report right here. The letter was addressed to the Department of Child Healers wasn't it Your Honour? Concerning Harry Potter?" The Judge looking slightly put out, nodded. "Yes, yes. Then Healer Bigglewart did receive the letter, eventually."

Hickson glared at him. "If I may see the file Mister Potter. Before you prattle on?"

"Of course." Harry had spread the two files in his hands in front of him and peered exaggeratedly at them. "I believe you want this one. Yes."

"Your Honour! Mister Potter is making mockery of this court!" Hickson pointed to the stand as he complained to the Judge.

"Unless that file is in your favour I believe he has right to. I myself am not happy to be here. Proceed with presenting the findings Hickson." Van Gosser replied.

Hickson spent a moment scanning the file before a smile spread over his face. "What's this?! Healer Bigglewart has stated he found Potter's magic elevated…a different magic inside showing agitation and that it has the propensity for striking out!"

"Do not forget to read the adjoining note Mr. Hickson." Harry said coldly, smile gone.

"Hogwash! He claims it wasn't negatively poised to hurt him or anyone in particular and your own body's magic contained it. Simply it doesn't hurt you. But who's to say ladies and gentlemen that it won't hurt others!?"

"If I may Your Honour? There was a reason why I was agitated and felt a, what was it? 'Propensity for striking out'? I found out why Draco Malfoy wants my baby."

The courtroom was suddenly plunged into chaos, people whispering, shouting, arguing, Draco and Pansy themselves over on the otherside hollering to Hickson about objecting. Harry merely raised his voice.

"I find it strange Draco wasn't surprised when I walked in with my son today when only yesterday he came to Hogwarts to…check up on my pregnancy he said. I'd been married the night before which was why he really came but what he didn't know was I'd also gone into labour that same night and had Sebastian the next morning. He never actually saw us. However…between then and now…someone, told him I'd given birth." The courtroom had gone deathly quiet again without the Judge's gavel, people waiting in suspense.

"How could my Healer have known…my son's name…before I told him? Unless another Healer had told him. Healer Wright did birth my son and I thought he had left before Severus named him. But apparently he had stayed to spy for someone and after he really did leave, he reported in the evening to...someone." Harry gave Malfoy a cutting smile across the room. "I'd like to present Healer Wright's medical file on Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy to the court."

Harry pushed forward the second file before him. "You see, he too is in that Department. He got the Judge's letter before Bigglewart did. He also happened to be Pansy's doctor. You see, due to too many viral infections from her past dalliances…" Here Harry tutted softly looking at Pansy. "And the subsequent healings, Mrs. Parkinson-Malfoy appears to be barren. When Draco learnt this just over a month ago, he suddenly had a hankering to regain _his only possible heir_."

"OBJECTION! Strike it all from the record! How did he come into possession of this file!?"

"Nicked it. I did say I could be cunning didn't I?" Harry smirked at Hickson as the whole trial room became a madhouse again. It took five minutes a few people being removed for the court to finally still.

"ORDER! And if I have to ask for it again I'll throw this whole case out!" Van Gosser was leaned forward, gavel in hand, and red in the face after striking at the wooden block for the past few minutes. "Hickson!"

"Remove his testimony! It pertains to stolen documents!" Pearson jumped in at once.

"That pertain to the case. This is the grounds of the case itself. Apparently Mister Malfoy's been keeping things from the court!"

Van Gosser looked at Hickson darkly. "I want you both to return to your seats. Mr. Potter you may leave the stand. The new evidence will not be removed from the record as apparently we've come to the root of this matter." The judge waited as the lawyers and Harry took their seats. "I do not believe I need to deliberate. This matter was…"

"No!" Draco had sprung up from his seat, fighting off the hand his lawyer had laid on him. "I want to say my piece. I overreacted. I simply overreacted when I found out Harry was pregnant. I said things I didn't mean. Does that mean I shouldn't be allowed my son!?"

"Mr. Malfoy sit down or you will be removed from this court." Van Gosser picked up his gavel. "If the defense feels like calling you up to speak, then you will speak."

"I'm a Malfoy! Things happen MY way, WHEN I want them to. Potter went and got himself knocked up when I wasn't ready. So I left him. So what? He found someone to shack up with real fast! That doesn't say much about the relationship we had! But if I want to do the right thing now…"

Severus cursed under his breath as Harry stood, fists clenched. "You don't want to do the right thing you bastard." His voice was a hoarse, angry whisper. "I thank God Severus loved and loves me enough to help me through what you did to me. And you know what I'm talking about Malfoy." Harry's green eyes narrowed to slits as his voice raised. "You want to talk about what _what you were willing to do to __**me and my unborn child**__ says about our __**RELATIONSHIP?!**_ You've got a LOT of fucking nerve! You don't want Sebastian as your son! You want him as a trophy! You win! You get a beautiful wife and a gorgeous son and your piece of ass ex gets left in the dust. You get to leave the Great Harry Potter on your terms. Well, fuck you Draco." Harry panted out his last statement over the low roar of the courtroom descending to pandemonium again. "Fuck you and your whore of a wife too for being in on this! If I ever loved you I was out of my fucking mind!!"

"ORDER! ORDER!! I want everyone out of my courtroom! OUT! The two sides with their lawyers will meet in my chambers in fifteen minutes! My decision will be given solely to them." Van Gosser stood and left, two wizard guards by his side.

By now Sebastian was fighting weakly in the cradle of his arms, beginning to whine in a way Severus just knew was going to degenerate into screaming. He stood and handed him over to Hermione who put him in the baby carrier and nodded as she hustled out the door. Turning to Harry Severus hugged the shaking man tightly as he faced away from where Draco was standing, staring at him.

"Ssh. It's okay. Harry…Harry?" A soft, wet sob was released against his neck as Harry broke down.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!!" He gasped in air as Severus rubbed his back. "I found the file at Bigglewart's…I was so angry! Severus!" Fervent green eyes stared up into his, tear streaks still on his cheeks. "I can't believe…I can't believe that's why he put me through this! I-I…With time I would have been willing to let him see Bast if I believed he really wanted him. If he really…_wanted_, Bast. I would have shared…" The shaggy head rested on his shoulder as Harry gasped in air again. "But he would have taken him from me totally. Just to…_**have **_a son Because the witch he married was barren!"

Severus stiffened. "Don't think about it. It doesn't matter. The judge has seen Malfoy's true colours. There's no way he'll let Malfoy take Sebastian from us."

"What if…what if what I just did makes him…" The Potions Master hugged Harry tighter.

"Don't entertain stupidities. Everything's going to be fine." But Sebastian was never going anywhere near Malfoy. He had a feeling he and Harry still needed to talk about that because Harry still entertained these ideas that even though he knew Malfoy was fundementally _bad_, he could work out some _way_ that he would want to have a good relationship with his biological son. Severus raked his fingers through Harry's hair gently as he sat and manuevered his husband into his lap. He loved Sebastian, not nearly as much as he loved Harry but with time he was sure he would, and for that reason HIS son would go no where near anyone that would hurt him.

* * *

A/N: #drinks a glass of water# Ahem. I believe the next chapter is the last. I do not know when it will be out. That is all.

#bows# Thank you for your patience.


	18. Chapter 18

Final chapter

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise. All HP characters and places belong to JK Rowling.

Chpt 18

**Days Like These**

Harry's chest was tight and his stomach a mass of butterflies as he clutched Severus hand as they both entered the judge's chamber behind Pearson. Pansy and Draco entered just after them with their lawyer and when he caught Draco's eyes…he was past disgust, past anger, past caring. He looked away coldly.

"I've reached my decision." Van Gosser was sitting at his desk and waited as they all took available seats. "Frankly, I'm disgusted with you Mister Malfoy that you dared to bring this matter into this court to waste my time. You are supremely lucky that Mister Potter apparently doesn't intend to bring attempted murder charges against you, because your story stinks of lies. Your _case_ was nothing but slander and mudslinging and Mister Malfoy you of all people should live by the 'glass houses' saying. Mister Potter, you have a temper that is going to get you into trouble but I suppose in this situation with the, literally, life of your son on the line I can understand your extreme reactions. However I'd prefer to never see you in my court again." Van Gosser pulled out a piece of parchment and lifted a wand that was most likely his over it.

"This is my decision in the matter of Malfoy versus Potter/Potter-Snape." He intoned deeply as the words appeared on the paper before him. Hickson was leaning forward slightly in hope while Pearson reclined with a smug smile on his face. Harry wasn't feeling nearly as confident as him and the hand he was still holding was turning white from lack of circulation. But Severus was holding his back just as hard.

"I award full custody of Sebastian Alexander Potter-Snape to Harry Potter-Snape and Severus Snape." Draco cursed loudly and Pansy broke down in tears at the announcement. On the other side of the room Severus suddenly had a lapful of Harry Potter-Snape who was crying and laughing at the same time. Van Gosser was apparently used to this as he waited a moment for them all to calm down.

"Ours. He's ours. He's _ours_." Harry muttered happily into Severus' neck. He kissed his husband suddenly, hard before pulling away with a teary but wide grin.

"Back into your seat so the Judge can finish." Severus kissed him gently on the forehead and Harry nodded eagerly, turning with an embarassed flush.

"I apologise Your Honour." Harry sat quickly, holding Severus' hand again, much softer this time.

"Thank you." Van Gosser turned eyes to the other side who were all waiting stonily. "Terms of visitation are totally in the hands of said parents, if they wish you to have visitation. In light of certain circumstances of the case it is also possible for the parents to ask for restraining orders against both of you." Harry looked over at Draco and Pansy in surprise. He didn't know that was possible. Should they…?

"Both Harry and I would appreciate it greatly if orders could be placed against them. Standing until whenever we wish to release them from it." Severus said formally from beside him. Harry moved his eyes from the now angry couple to Severus questioningly. Black eyes looked down at him brows above them furrowed. "We will talk when we return to Hogwarts."

Harry nodded before turning attention back to Van Gosser. "Very well."

The Judge nodded. "This be done by the will of Merlin, Order of the Confederacy of Judicial Law in the Magical Community of Britain under order of Judge Van Gosser." With a wave the parchment on the table was aglow and in a flash it was gone. "Mister Malfoy, Mrs. Parkinson-Malfoy, you have half hour to leave the premises and from then on you must keep a distance of fifty feet from Sebastian Potter-Snape and his parents. No contact may be made with them or him and it's in your best interest not to be found to be breaking this order against you as the consequences are…dire."

Hickson stood with a snarl and exited the room irate. Pansy was still crying but apparently Draco had regained some semblance of dignity and was holding out his hand to her. "Let's go."

Harry looked away as they passed by out the door and held his breath until he was sure they were gone.

"Harry." Blinking up at Severus, Harry stood slightly shakily. "Are you okay?"

Was he okay? He'd just been put through the worse ten months of his life, lost all love and respect he thought he'd held for his first lover, found a new love that was even better and married him and had a baby that was now their's to share. Was he okay?

"I can start to be okay?" Shell-shocked, Harry was dragged into a tight hug. "It's all over isn't it?"

"All over." Severus whispered to him. "Come on. Let's go home." They left Pearson behind in the room to talk to the Judge, leaving their thanks with him. They met Hermione outside in the hall and soon made their way home.

* * *

Severus was dreading having to sit down to talk to Harry. He hardly proscrastinated in his long life but yet tonight he allowed Harry to shuttle their baby around in celebration, come back to their quarters to finish up business with the movers, eat a private supper in their rooms so they would both be near Sebastian and start to read before he worked up the courage to speak.

"Harry?"

"Hmm?" The green-eyed former Gryffindor looked up from his book and gave Severus an inquisitive look with a small smile.

"We-…we need to talk." Severus stood up with a sigh and moved to the couch, patting the seat next to him.

Harry's smile faded as he put down his book and moved next to Severus. "Is there something wrong?" He sat next to his husband and edged to the very end of the cushion, perched perchariously in anxiety.

"What did you mean when you said you would have _shared_ Sebastian with Malfoy?" Severus cut brutally to the point, leaning forward and fixing Harry with a steady stare.

"Oh." Harry bit his lip, looking down. "I…meant, you know-" Severus cut across him with a glare.

"I don't or I would not be asking. Do you seriously mean to tell me that even after Draco Malfoy poisoned you, trying to kill your unborn child, that even after that you would let him have contact with Sebastian?" He didn't mean to raise his voice but irritation…and disbelief, incredulous disbelief, was all that had filled him in the court when he heard Harry say such a statement. That he had even faltered over the restraining order…

"I don't know!" Harry finally let the statement leave him in a wearied exhalation of air. "Severus…do you understand? It's like the Blood Bonding issue. I knew that Draco had done bad things...I knew that. Even after he had poisoned me...before the trial I mean. I just…wanted to open all options…" Severus' face darkened. "That's not the right word. I mean I want Bast to know the truth. I wanted him to…perhaps be able to know his biological father. _Before_ this whole thing with the trial happened." Harry worried his lip again, looking at Severus from under his lashes. "Do you understand?"

"You want him to have _options_?"

"Sever-" The Potions Master cut across Harry in a low hiss.

"You want him to choose who he wants to be his father? What happened to 'he is like my son' and 'he'll know who his true father is' Potter?"

"I didn't mean it like that! That isn't fair Severus!" Harry exclaimed, a pained look in his eyes before he shot a glance at the baby and lowered his voice. "You're twisting what I said. And isn't this point moot? Draco will never be near my son."

Severus stood and glared down at Harry darkly. "Yes he never will be near _your_ son as long as I'm your husband and by extension his step-father. The way you actually hesitated over the restraining order and turned down my offer to Blood Bond with him explains to me pretty much where I stand, thank you. But as long as he is under my protection Potter, that boy will be going no where near Draco Malfoy!"

"That isn't fair." Harry said quietly, face flushed in anger. "I'm not trying to distance Bast from you! He _is_ your son too. And not _by extension_ but because he IS your son. You were before he was born and you will be as he grows up. Don't you _dare_ twist my words into something I didn't mean Severus Snape! I perhaps didn't want to cut Bast off from knowing where his blood roots lie but that by no means is a statement that you aren't his father." Harry stood too and Severus cringed internally as those luminous green eyes filled with tears. "And right now I'm really…really hurt that you would…even think…much less say…_that I-!"_

Severus looked away from that accusingly swimming, green gaze and actually did flinch. "Don't. For fuck's sake don't Pot-_Harry._"

The breathless man stepped forward and pushed ineffectually at Severus' chest. "You can't just throw around accusations like that Severus and then-Mhm!"

Severus kissed his husband hungrily, holding on tightly to his arms. Harry was stiff under his lips for a moment before he melted limply and opened his lips to him. 'Only one good way to shut up a Gryffindor…' Severus pulled back slightly, tasting _Harry_, just the flavour he knew was Harry on his lips. Harry, who was gazing up dazedly at him, eyes still wet. "I'm sorry…" Harry blinked, once, twice, a small tear squeezed out before he opened his mouth to say something Severus once again cut off.

Harry was beautiful enough pleasure-flushed, was it wrong Severus thought he looked even better with tears dying on his cheek. He broke away from the kiss again panting and repeated himself huskily. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Harry was clutching blindly to Severus' forearms and breathless again, this time from having his breath kissed away. "You…you don't-really think…I don't want…"

"I didn't mean it." The Potions Master breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly, his lips brushing away Harry's tears. "I didn't mean…Merlin's…balls…" Harry let out a soft moan that rose to a high whine as Severus sucked on the soft skin under his ear. "You drive me to distraction…didn't mean it like that. Just don't…" Long, nimble fingers were plucking open Harry's buttons quickly as Severus' passions rose. "Don't want Sebastian near Malfoy."

"I promise…I won't I _promise_!" Harry sobbed anxiously as he struggled out of his shirt with Severus' help. "That was before…I don't-not anymore…" He hurried to help Severus out of his own shirt. "_Please!_"

"I'd give you anything." Severus whispered hotly, nudging Harry back against the couch and laying them both down snugly.

"I just want…our family. Me and Bast and…_oh Gods,_ you. Just you _Severus_!"

In minutes he had Harry writhing weakly on the sofa, clinging to him like love vine. It was amazing…unbelievably spectacular that he had this man as his husband now, that this man would have him. He was often harsh, cutting, sometimes cruel even when he didn't mean to be but Harry…Harry understood the way he was…and Gods help him he might not always agree but he understood Harry too.

* * *

Severus was making him forget everything, the last stressful months of his life, poisoning, trial, everything…everything but what it felt like to burn alive. With passion…with love.

With every fleeting sweep of Severus' fingers along his naked skin, leaving a burning trail behind, Harry panted and moaned out what he'd wanted to say for months, for what felt like forever. He said it without words because it was hard to articulate when Severus was…cripes! Doing…that…

"Sever-USSS…" The older man stopped sucking on his nipple only to reach over to the floor in his robes for his wand.

"Circe, come on…" He leaned over a bit more. "Where…ah!"

"Severus…come _onnn_…" Harry tangled his fingers into Severus long hair, pulling him into a long, deep kiss that had their tongues tangling in ways that distracted Severus from what he was doing with his wand.

"If…you don't…let me-Merlin Potter!" Harry let out a soft, breathy laugh in between partings of their kiss. "We'll never finish."

"Go on then." Harry whispered and bent his legs up, feet flat on the couch as Severus raised himself off him slightly. The gentle jab of Severus' wand at his opening had him jumping slightly but then Severus tossed the wand aside and used his fingers to spread the lubricant…and it was all so very, _very_ good.

Harry pushed his head back, moaned, almost keened as Severus stretched him slowly, was panting by the time the man withdrew.

"Good?" God, that voice could melt ice when he used it like this.

"Oh God if you don't make love to me _right now_ I will…" Harry swallowed a moan as Severus settled between his thighs.

"Whatever you want…" Harry's feet crossed at the ankles over Severus' back as he pushed into him slowly and Harry shut his eyes swallowing a moan at the deep ache his husband caused within him. It was glorious.

"Like…watching Felis Felix after brewing…" Severus neck was taunt as he froze fully inside him, before he looked down on Harry and those onyx orbs seemed to sear him. "Magnificent."

"_Gods Severus!_ Please…" And Christ but the look in Severus' eyes as he withdrew from him…he'd probably rip the beating heart out of his chest and give it to Harry if he said he wanted it. Ripped at Harry's own heart every time he withdrew…made Harry die with pleasure every time he re-entered him.

"I want to hear you Harry. Soft, don't wake the baby…" Hot breath tickled arousingly at his neck. "Let me hear you like this."

"_Oh Gods_." Sweet Merlin. "I love it! I love it! Severus…_gim'ee_…" Long slow arcs and thrusts of Severus' body into his and all it took was mere minutes and Harry was on the edge. "Please! PLEASE!

"Yes Harry _yes_. Show me…!" And he squeezed his green eyes shut tight, thighs trembling in a spasm as came, milking Severus within himself as the man groaned lowly in release.

He couldn't even hear himself over Severus deep, heavy breathing and it was long minutes before his brain kicked back in.

"Umhmm…do we…have to move?" Harry asked voice scratchy.

"Not if you don't want to."

"Don't particularly want to." Harry moaned out softly, letting out a little yawn. Severus pulled his robe from off the floor and shifted out of him before laying it over both of them. And it was warm and comfortable…he felt pleasure saturated, he made him lazy…

Harry was so close to drifting off…he tilted his head sleepily as Severus kissed him softly under his ear.

"I…love you...so much Harry." Severus said almost inaudibly, before sighing and resting his head between the couch and Harry's shoulder.

Harry let out a sleepy smile and hoped, really hoped Pomphrey was right when she said Sebastian would be quiet for a few nights more. He and Severus were going to need them, to _sort_ some things out.

"I love you too." Wide, shocked black eyes flew open to meet his. "You stupid, stupid man."

Their lips met in a softer, quieter kiss and Harry smiled contentedly as their bodies merged together too. He could get used to days like these.

* * *

A/N: Ne. It's done. #takes a bow# My second finished fiction. #waits for applause to die down#

Now...I've always had a sequel in the works for Days, to do about their children etc. But I've decided to leave well enough alone and I will not even attempt an epilogue unless there is some mass outcry for one but even I can't see how I can make this end any mushier.

Anywho...thank you for following the progress of this fic as it was born and developed and bloomed...enjoy it forever because once a story is done and spread it never dies. #bows#


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